Originally Posted by toast
Wow, Im actually kinda suprised at the number of you guys are totally wrong.
To clear things up.
In a race between a car with 100 whp/100ft-lb tq, and a car with 100 whp/200ft-lb tq car...
they would tie.
Torque is what you FEEL. So being in the second car would FEEL like you were accelerating harder, HOWEVER their horsepower is the same. This is what matters, horsepower by definition, is a measure of the cars ability to do work(aka, apply a force) over a distance. They are both applying the same force, and therefore accelerating at the same rate.
Torque, measured alone at the crank, has NOTHING to do with a cars ability to accelerate.
where did you go to school????????????
torque is a force, therefore if there is a force in a certain direction more than in the opposite direction (the force of the pavement pushing against the car), there is not a force equal in both directions, which leads to an acceleration.
if you have 100 more foot lbs of force pushing you in one direction you will accelerate faster than the other car
"g's" is what you feel, 1 g being you body weight pushing against you, 2 g's twice your body weight pushing against you etc. which is the seat of your pants feeling. that is what you feel, caused by the acceleration caused by the torque
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Mechanical Engineer - Naval Surface Warfare Center PCD, Marine Corps. Counter IED Development
USF Formula and Baja racing Alumni/Consultant