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2002-11-21
But, if you describe that engine as having 120 000 W, that
for sure sounds much more powerful that those horsefarts. Even 1200
hW would sound more powerful. With prefixes, any metric number can be made
to appear bigger or smaller as needed.
What is really strange is when people describing
mechanical things just can't seem to say that this engine or that machine
has more or less power than something else. They always have insist it has
more or less HORSEpower. As if adding the term horse in front of the word
power makes the description more understandable.
John
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, 2002-11-21 06:27
Subject: [USMA:23528] Re: Caballos
In a message dated 2002-11-21 01:22:39 Eastern Standard
Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
Yes, the caballo is the stupid horsepower, only it is the
European variety,
of 75 kgm/s or 736 W, 9 W less than the US/UK animal.
Although this travesty
of a measuring units has been outlawed from 1978
it is indestructible. What
makes it so, is beyond me. Is a unit the more
durable, the more stupid and
irrational it is?
Caballo, cavallo
vapore, cheval vapeur, Pferdestaerke, paardenkracht, all
names in
different languages for the same animal, the continental
horsepower, that
should really be sent to the knackers
yard!
Han
The same reasons Canadian grocers
still show prices in pounds.
If your car has a 120 kW engine, it has
about 160 horsepower or caballos or chevals or pferds or whatever. 160
is bigger than 120. The car appears more powerful. Bigger is
better.
If you show apples in pounds the price appears lower because a
pound is smaller than a kg. Smaller is better.
The marketeers
know human nature.
Carleton
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