Very basic question on torque

[paranoidTSi]

This is really dumb but correct me of I'm wrong, Horsepower is the amount of power the motor creates, and Torque/WHP is the amount of power actually delivered to the wheels correct?

 

[blMuskrat]

The way I always thought of it was this: Torque gets you going(low end power/starting power), hp keeps you there(high end power)

 

[Desibabu345]

Its always confused me but the way i understand it best is howstuffworks.com Muskrat is right though.

 

[blk91tsiawd]

if your saying torque/WHP is the same thing....no thats not it...

 

[Jay86]

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/channel.htm?ch=auto&ct=library

 

[chrisdob30]

torque is the measure of force that the engine creates, horse power is a measure of that torque at a certain rpm times that rpm.

 

[Defiant]

This is probably the best HowStuffWorks page, with the best links:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question622.htm

That magic number, 5252, is the RPM that horsepower and torque curves will _always_ cross when measured on a spinning shaft, if they cross at all.