Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Calculating Vehicle Power
• Method 2 of 3: Calculating Motor Power
• Method 3 of 3: Calculating Your Own Power
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Horsepower is a unit of measure for power. It was originally introduced by a Scottish engineer to compare the power of steam engines with the power of horses. In this article, you will learn how to calculate the horsepower of a car engine or the horsepower of your own body.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Calculating Vehicle Power

1. 1 Find out the torque of the car. This value can be found in the "Technical data" section (or similar section) in the vehicle documents. If you do not have technical documents or operating instructions for the car, try to find the corresponding data on the Internet. For example, search for "torque" and include the model, make and year of your vehicle. You will surely find the information you need.
2. 2 Find out the engine speed for the vehicle. This data can also be found in the documentation or instructions for use for the vehicle. If such information is not indicated there or you do not have documentation, then you can find all the necessary data on the Internet by entering "engine speed" in the search engine, as well as the model, make and year of manufacture of your car. This information can be found on many Internet resources.
3. 3 Multiply the torque and engine speed. For calculations, you will need to use the following formula: (RPM * T) / 5252 = HP, where RPM is the number of revolutions of the engine, T is the torque and 5.252 is the number of radians per second. First, multiply the torque by the engine speed.
   • For example, for a Porsche car, the torque is 480, and the number of revolutions is 2,500. For our calculations, we multiply these two indicators: (2,500 * 480), we get 1,200,000.
4. 4 Divide the result by 5252. You will get the horsepower of your engine. For example, for a Porsche car, our calculations will be as follows: 1200 000/5252 = 228.48, that is, the power of the Porsche car is 228 horsepower.

Method 2 of 3: Calculating Motor Power

1. 1 Find the amperage (I), coefficient of performance (COP) and voltage (V) for the motor. Motor voltage is measured in volts, amperage is measured in amperes, efficiency is measured in percent. All these data must be indicated on the engine.
2. 2 Using the formula (V * I * efficiency) / 746 = HP, determine the horsepower of the electric motor. Multiply voltage by amperage and efficiency and divide by 746. For example, a 230 V, 4 A, 82% efficiency electronic motor horsepower is 1 horsepower.
   • Before calculating, convert the efficiency to a decimal fraction. For example, an efficiency of 82% in decimal notation would be 0.82.

Method 3 of 3: Calculating Your Own Power

1. 1 Measure your weight. Find out your weight in pounds. Write down the resulting value. If the scale shows your weight in kilograms, then multiply the value by 2.2 to get your weight in pounds.
2. 2 Find a ladder that you will not have obstacles on. You will need to run up these steps, timing your ascent with a stopwatch, so try to choose a ladder that you rarely use.
3. 3 Measure the height of the stairs. First, measure the height of one step (in feet). Next, count the number of steps you will climb. Multiply the resulting number of steps by the height - you get the total height of the steps. Write down this number.
   • If you are measuring step height in meters, multiply step height by 3.28 to convert step height to feet.
4. 4 Calculate the time it takes you to climb the stairs. Run up the stairs, while starting the countdown from the moment you take the first step, and when your foot is on the last step, stop the stopwatch. Record the duration of the ascent. Remember that there are 60 seconds in one minute.
5. 5 Use the formula (m * 9.81 * h) / t = HP to calculate your wattage. In this formula, m = your weight, h = the height of the ladder, 9.81 is the acceleration due to gravity (a constant to keep in mind), and t = the ascent time (in seconds). As a result of the calculations, you will get the power, measured in watts.
   • For example, if your weight is 180 pounds and you climbed a 12-foot ladder in 4 seconds, then your power is ((180 * .454) * 9.81 * (12 * .3048)) / 4 = 733 Tue
6. 6 Calculate your horsepower. Divide your watts by 746 to find your horsepower. Typically, the result varies between 1 and 2 horsepower.

Tips

• Use the calculator for the most accurate calculations.
• Double check all calculations to rule out errors.

Warnings

• Exercise caution when working with electric motors.

What do you need

• Scales (to measure your weight)
• Ruler
• Calculator
• Stopwatch
• Vehicle operating instructions or technical documentation