How many watts are there in one horsepower?

746 Watt

The correct answer is option 2. 746 Watt.

The concept of horsepower was introduced by James Watt, a Scottish engineer, to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses. It is a unit of power that measures the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred. One horsepower (hp) is defined as the amount of power required to lift 550 pounds (or 250 kilograms) of mass vertically by one foot (or 0.3048 meters) in one second.

The conversion from horsepower to watts involves understanding the definition of each unit. A watt (W) is the standard unit of power in the International System of Units (SI), representing one joule of energy per second. In other words, one watt is equal to one joule per second.

To convert from horsepower to watts, we use the conversion factor provided by the definition of horsepower. Since one horsepower is equivalent to 550 foot-pounds per second, and one foot-pound is approximately 1.35582 joules, we can calculate the conversion as follows:

1 horsepower = \(550\) foot-pounds per second
              \(≈ 550 × 1.35582\) joules per second
              \(≈ 746\) watts

Therefore, one horsepower is approximately equal to 746 watts. This conversion factor is commonly used in various engineering and automotive contexts when comparing power outputs.