Re: A quick, easy definition of torque?

["Chris M" <pb1113@hotmail.com>]

As I've always understood it, torque is a measure of rotational force.  For
example, 350 ft-lbs of torque should exert 350 lbs of force at a radius of 1
foot.  If you took a 1 foot breaker bar and somehow connected one end to the
middle of the flywheel with the other end against a scale, the scale would
read 350 pounds.  Of course this is an instantaneous measurment and is
measured differently in real life, but you get the idea.  Horsepower is
force over time, so using the appropriate formula, you can measure torque,
multiply it by the RPM and get the horsepower for that RPM.  You can
probably easily find this horsepower formula on the net.
  When you refer to older v-8's having more "torque" most people actually
mean low-rpm torque.  Its all in the cubic inches....
If I've got this totally wrong, someone please correct me...

Hope that helps!

Chris M.
'82 Scirocco
http://members.xoom.com/mp3vw

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jorel" <jorel140@yahoo.com>
To: <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 9:57 PM
Subject: A quick, easy definition of torque?


> I was talking about torque to my wife the other day. I
> talked about how much I liked torque, and how if
> someone offered to give me more torque for my
> scirocco, I would take it without hesitation. I talked
> about this Camaro I used to have that had lots more
> torque than the '85 scirocco, and how sometimes I
> missed having that much torque. With all this, she
> finally asked me what torque was. I couldn't come up
> with an easy answer. I explained to her about  this
> thing that gives rise to rotational movement, things
> like that, things you could find in a book about
> physics. She still doesn't understand what torque is,
> and now I'm not even sure I do. So I was wondering if
> anyone out there can give me a quick definition? I
> also told her that v8 engines produce more torque than
> 4 cylinder engines, and she asked me why. Now that I
> think about it, I don't really know why either; but I
> would assume it has somthing to do with the size of a
> crankshaft. Funny how I have been throwing around all
> these terms and not really knowing just what the hell
> I am talking about!
>
> TIA
>
> Jorel Jackson
> '85 Scirocco, proof that torque may not be everything...
>
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