Horsepower Calculator

Horsepower Calculator

Horsepower is a measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done. This calculator can be used to compute horsepower according to its definition and to convert between different power units.

Horsepower Calculation Based on Definition

By definition: Power = Force × Distance / Time

Force (newton): Distance (meter): Time (second):

Horsepower Converter

Amount: Convert From: Mechanical Horsepower (hp) Watt (W) British Thermal Unit (BTU) Convert To: Mechanical Horsepower (hp) Watt (W) British Thermal Unit (BTU)

What is Horsepower?

Horsepower is a unit of measurement of power developed by engineer James Watt in the late 18th century. It is commonly used to refer to the potential work output of a vehicle's engine and is a widely cited measurement for performance comparisons.

Different Horsepowers

• Mechanical Horsepower (hp(I)): 550 foot-pounds per second, approximately 745.7 watts.
• Metric Horsepower (hp(M)): 75 kgf-m per second, approximately 735.499 watts.
• Boiler Horsepower (hp(S)): 34.5 pounds of water evaporated per hour at 212°F, approximately 9,809.5 watts.
• Electrical Horsepower: 746 watts, mainly used for electrical machines.

Other Power Units

• Watt (W): The SI unit of power, defined as one joule per second.
• British Thermal Unit (BTU): The amount of energy needed to heat one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.