Author Topic: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?  (Read 37308 times)

Offline silvermane

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1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« on: April 19, 2012, 07:42:40 AM »
Just for fun and I can't remember the numbers, but what does 1 pound of weight equal in horsepower?  I know this is just a close guess but I can't find my old notes on the subject.
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Offline stl-cards

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2012, 07:50:22 AM »
There is not a formula to convert pounds to horsepower.  A pound is a force.  Horsepower is a unit of power.

Power = Force x Distance / Time
A pound is just a unit of force.

Offline So Cal Joe

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2012, 08:07:19 AM »
I think a good question is how many pounds does 1 HP have to move. If you have a 3000 lb car with 500 HP each HP is moving 6 LBS. If you have a 600 lb motorcycle with 200 HP each HP is  only moving 3 LBS. That's why a 200 HP motorcycle is faster than a 500 HP car.

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Offline stl-cards

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2012, 08:33:00 AM »
+1   POWER to WEIGHT ratio

Offline ugocon

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2012, 11:23:22 AM »
It's not a matter of how much weight (1 lb or whatever) 1 HP can move.
Virtually there's no limit....
It's just a matter of "how long it will take" to move it! ;)
With a proper gear or lever you can move anything: the more power you have the faster you do it!  :D

(If I'm not mistaken... ::))
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Son of Pappy

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2012, 11:33:11 AM »
A formula I heard long before I discovered the net is losing seven pounds is roughly equal to a 1 HP gain.  How true it is?  No idea, but weight loss is a key to any race setup, from titanium to extra holes.  Less mass means more efficient movement/less required power to move it.

Offline MAN OF BLUES

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2012, 11:34:39 AM »

46 YEARS OF KAW.....  47 years of DEVO..

Offline Kazairl

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2012, 11:59:30 AM »
A formula I heard long before I discovered the net is losing seven pounds is roughly equal to a 1 HP gain.  How true it is?  No idea, but weight loss is a key to any race setup, from titanium to extra holes.  Less mass means more efficient movement/less required power to move it.

 Depends on where you lose the weight plus how heavy the vehicle is. 7 pounds on an 80k lbs semi tractor wouldn't mean jack but it means a lot on a 440lb sportbike.

  Weight reduction on a rotating member, (wheels, transmission, engine,) is much more effective than on a static member. Also the faster the component rotates the more effective the weight reduction will be. I.E. 1 lb off the flywheel will be more effective than 1 lb taken off the wheels, which is more effective than 1lb taken off by your fancy fender eliminator kit ect.

Offline silvermane

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #8 on: April 19, 2012, 07:01:50 PM »
A formula I heard long before I discovered the net is losing seven pounds is roughly equal to a 1 HP gain.  How true it is?  No idea, but weight loss is a key to any race setup, from titanium to extra holes.  Less mass means more efficient movement/less required power to move it.

That's it SoP.  Back in the day of my track days I remember carbon fiber, titanium, holes, don't need this/that made us faster.  When you have "X" amount of HP and depending on the weight it has to move determines how fast one could go.  Yes, power to rate ratio.  Again just for fun in theory I battle with myself on "should I get that exhaust system to gain 10 HP, or should I just loose that weight the doctor said I should to equal that same HP number?" 
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Offline rcannon409

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #9 on: April 19, 2012, 07:08:11 PM »
If I remember correctly, the weight/power issue had a lot more to do with acceleration that top speed.  Losing a few lbs would have a big effect on accelerating to top speed, but make very little difference to the actual top speed.

Offline ZG

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #10 on: April 19, 2012, 08:40:45 PM »
So what you guys are saying is if I lose weight I will be faster??
 
 

Offline Kazairl

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #11 on: April 19, 2012, 09:07:04 PM »
That's it SoP.  Back in the day of my track days I remember carbon fiber, titanium, holes, don't need this/that made us faster.  When you have "X" amount of HP and depending on the weight it has to move determines how fast one could go.  Yes, power to rate ratio.  Again just for fun in theory I battle with myself on "should I get that exhaust system to gain 10 HP, or should I just loose that weight the doctor said I should to equal that same HP number?" 

 With the exhaust you will gain that 10 hp and also lose a few pounds. It's kind of a win win all the way around so why not do both?

Offline The Pope

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2012, 03:54:25 AM »
So what you guys are saying is if I lose weight I will be faster?? [IMG]http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/smiley_dunno.gif

That's just water retension from too much salt. So cut back on your salt intake and you'll be all good!   :rotflmao:  :chugbeer:
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Offline cmoore

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Re: 1 pound = how much Horsepower?
« Reply #13 on: April 21, 2012, 04:22:26 AM »
This all sounds like math to me so I'll just stare out the window until class is over. The dude with the Shiner on his belly needs to get to the hospital and have that tumor removed. Good God no way Shiner wants him as a spokesman.
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