[alfa] RE: torque

[Mark Battley <M.Battley@xxxxxxxxxx>]

John Fielding wrote:

Back to the Alfa Romeo engine.  It was stated that it produces 45kg of
torque.  This means
nothing to me, and I am an emigrant Englishman who was taught both imperial
and metric
units at school and college when I under went my engineering apprenticeship.

Torque in the imperial system is usually quoted in "foot-pounds", in the
metric system it
is given in "Newton-metres". (1 Newton-metre is a force of 1kg applied to a
bar of length
of 1 metre).

If the 45kg is converted to Newton-Metres this would be 45Nm, which is
extremely crap!  I
think somewhere along the way the journalist got his/her units mixed up and
really meant
450Nm, which is more in line with an engine of this calibre.
-----------------
Well the journalist did get it wrong (presumably should be kgm, which is a
legitimate unit), but so did you :-)

1 Newton-metre is a MASS of 1kg applied to a bar of length
of 1 metre

Since F=ma, 1kg with gravity (a=acceleration = g = 9.81 ms^2 = 9.81N

So 45kg is 45*9.81=441N

And hence 45kgm = 441Nm

To convert to ftlb, x by 0.738 = 325ftlb

Mark Battley
Auckland, New Zealand

1973 Alfa Romeo 2000 GT Veloce
1989 Fiat Uno Turbo
1999 Fiat Marea Wagon, 2.0 20V
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