Power physics calculator how to#
Power physics calculator manual#

This value is useful when comparing vehicles, though you could add the extra weight to see how the performance of your vehicle changes when it's fully loaded up for a long road trip. The curb weight is the weight of the vehicle, excluding the driver, passengers, and luggage.

Power physics calculator manual#

Again, this can be found either from the manual or an online source.

If you can't find a value, you can always use our horsepower calculator to work it out.ДЇind out the vehicle's curb weight. Manufacturers usually quote the peak power output of their vehicles, which is OK for comparison purposes, but keep in mind that most of the time, the vehicle will be producing less power. You can either find this value in the vehicle's owner's manual, or search for it online.

Power physics calculator how to#

We'll now explain step by step how to calculate the power-to-weight ratio of a vehicle. So if you wanted to calculate the power-to-weight ratio of the Moon buggy, for example, you would use its mass rather than its weight as measured on the Moon, which would be one-sixth of that measured on Earth. It's important to note that the word 'weight' used throughout this article is a colloquial term for mass. However, because it is very lightweight, its power-to-weight ratio will be much greater than that for a typical car. An example of a quickly accelerating vehicle is a motorbike, which can have an average amount of power. If a car has a higher power output per pound than another vehicle, it will be able to accelerate that pound of weight more quickly.

The two most common power-to-weight ratio units are horsepower per pound (hp/lb) and kilowatt per kilogram (kW/kg). But what does that mean exactly? It is a measure of how much power the vehicle can produce per unit weight. The solution is to divide the vehicle's power by its weight (or mass) to get the power-to-weight ratio. What we need is a metric that doesn't depend on the size of the vehicle. How can we fairly compare their performance using these numbers? For example, a Ford F-series pickup truck has a peak power output of 290 hp (216 kW) and weighs 4,069 lb (1,846 kg), while a Ford Fiesta, produces 89 hp (66 kW) and weighs 2,546 lb (1,155 kg). Different vehicles produce varying quantities of power, and weigh different amounts.