One horsepower is defined in the United States as equal to 746 watts, or (roughly) 550 foot-pounds of work per second, which translates as the amount of power needed to lift 550 pounds upwards one foot in one second. A typical horse, by comparison, can lift just shy of 400 pounds the same distance in the same time.Which is to say that an average horse has about 0.7 horsepower. Which seems dreadfully unfair, somehow.
How many barrels of Bud is that?
ReplyDeleteWell, let's see. A barrel of beer was at one point standardized to 36 imperial gallons, which is about 164 liters. A gallon of water weighs a bit more than 8 pounds, and given Budweiser's love-in-a-canoe reputation around here, we can make at least a rough equivalence of about 300 pounds per gallon (not counting the weight of the barrel). So, probably about a barrel and a half, give or take an oz.
DeleteSo how many barrels do the Budweiser Clydesdales pull?
DeleteYou probably saw this already, but Wikipedia says that the 550 number was arrived at by James Watt in order to help sell his steam engine. It goes on to say that "Most observers familiar with horses and their capabilities estimate that Watt was either a bit optimistic or intended to underpromise and overdeliver; few horses can maintain that effort for long. Regardless, comparison with a horse proved to be an enduring marketing tool."
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