Re: A quick, easy definition of torque?

[T Berk <tberk@mindspring.com>]

Jorel wrote:
> 
> I was talking about torque to my wife the other day...

<snip>
> 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

Lets take a shot at this- I spend all day explaining things to people,
sometimes I even know what I'm talking about.  :)

Torque is the power to twist. HP is also a measure of power but it
_could_ just as easily be in a straight line.

The reason that 8 cylinder cars have more (other than they have more
swept volume? doh!) is that the crank is getting a push from each unit
in that much shorter an interval- on a four Cyl engine the thing gets
1/4 of it's power from each 'push' of the down force created by the
combustion of each cylinder. There is a whole quarter rotation before
another 'push' comes along.

In the big block Detroit Iron engine the crank only has a small 1/8 turn
before another cylinder comes along to begin 'pushing'. Nes Pas?

Torque is measured as the amount of force a given distance out from a
center of rotation. 

TBerk, w/ only part of the pic, I'm sure.

--
Email problems to: scirocco-l-probs@scirocco.org  To unsubscibe send
"unsubscribe scirocco-l" in the message to majordomo@scirocco.org