Horsepower is a unit of power representing the power exerted by a horse when it pulls an object. James Watt, the inventor of the steam engine, defined the term horsepower after determining through careful measurements that a horse is typically capable of a power rate of 550 foot-pounds per second. This means that a horse, harnessed to an appropriate machine, such as a plough or wagon, can lift 550 pounds at the rate of one foot per second. Today the standard unit of power is named for Watt, and one horsepower is equal to approximately 745.6999 watts. Outside the United States, the English word “horsepower” is often used to mean the metric horsepower, a slightly smaller unit.
- Are the terms gnat’s eye and hair’s breadth true units of measure?
- How is a baker’s dozen different from a standard dozen?
- What is a cord used to measure?
- What is an acre used to measure?
- How can U.S. money be used to measure items around the house?
- Why do cities have dams?
- How are carats and carob seeds related?
- Is a mile the same distance on land and at sea?
- How were stones used as weights and measures?
- What is a cubit?
- How are measuring units related to the human body?
- Is it possible to count to infinity?
- What is a googol?
- Why is learning math important?
- Is zero a number?
- What is an abacus, and how long has it been used?
- Which airport is the busiest in the world?
- What are Roman numerals?
- What is so special about the number 2?
- How long will it take me to count to one billion?
