B - Brake horsepower
05 June 2006
Brake horsepower - The most common measure of an engine's power. It is calculated from the engine's torque (see Torque). The more able the engine is to push against a resisting force (essentially a brake), the more powerful it is, and hence the name brake horsepower. The name dates from the industrial revolution, when a steam engine was rated by how many horses it replaced.
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