The Difference Between Horsepower And CC

Horsepower and Engine CC  are two very diverse concepts that are not mutually exclusive. Both are measurable, but one needs slightly more proprietary tools to quantify than the other. Let us break it down.

What is Horsepower?

Horsepower is the unit of measurement used to measure the power of an automobile engine. The higher the Horsepower or HP, the higher the power sent to the wheels; thus, the higher the car's speed. 

It is measured in Brake-Horse-Power or BHP, Pferdestärke or PS, the German translation of HP. It is measured in the Feet-Pound-Force-Per-Second or FPS in the British system, while in the metric system, it is generally measured in Kilowatt or KW.

Horsepower is of two types- Frictional Horsepower and Indicated Horsepower. Indicated Horsepower is defined as the original power used by the automobile engine. Knowing a vehicle's Horsepower is reasonably necessary to understand the speed and performance of its engine. Thus, it is also known as the output of the engine.

What is CC?

Cubic Centimeters or CC is used to know the size of the automobile engine. It also signifies how large and heavy the engine is. Thus, it helps us understand the pumping capacity of the engine.

1000 CC = 1 Liter. 

This means that a 1000 CC engine is the equivalent displacement to a 1-Liter engine. The CC of an automobile's engine is the total volume of all the cylinders in that engine. Thus, it measures the swept volume of the cylinders of the engine. 

 A higher CC can be achieved by making the engine of the vehicle larger and more robust, creating more displacement. The following formula can calculate cubic centimeters- 0.7854 x bore x bore x stroke x number of cylinders. However, there are other far more complex formulas as well.

Moreover, the displacement of a vehicle can be calculated in cubic inches by substituting the measurements in inches – 8.1cm = 3.189″ & 7.76cm = 3.055″ giving 0.7854 x 3.189″ x 3.189″ x 3.055″ x 4 = 97.6 cu.in.

It is important to note that the cubic capacity of vehicles is usually in the range of 50 CC to 1500 CC.

Difference Between Horsepower and CC

Definition of  Horsepower and CC

Cubic capacity provides information about the size of the engine. It specifies how large and heavy the engine is and explains its dynamic response depending on the materials integrated into the moving parts. It can be said that it represents the pumping capacity of the engine. Horsepower gives information about the power of the vehicle (work done by the engine). It usually represents the peak power and is related to the maximum speed the vehicle can achieve.

Calculation of Horsepower and CC

Displacement is measured (calculated) as the total volume of the chambers. The volume is obtained from the diameter of the cylinders (the bore), the distance the piston travels (stroke) as well as the number of cylinders of the engine. Horsepower is determined by multiplying the torque (measured with dynamometer) by the engine speed (measured with tachometer) and dividing by 5252 (radians per second).

Factors influencing  Horsepower and CC

Horsepower depends on the engines' design and tuning, capacity and size, type of fuel used, number of valves, valves' timing, the air changing method (natural, turbocharged, supercharged), the fuel delivery method, and so on. The cubic centimeters will depend on the engine's design, bore (diameter), and number of chambers.

The link between Horsepower and CC

Although there is no straightforward link between Horsepower and CC, we can say that 1Ks = 14-17CC. Furthermore, there is a general conviction that higher engine displacement results in higher Horsepower (not necessarily always true and without a linear relationship).

Conclusion

Both Horsepower and CC are quite essential to know before we tend to buy a new vehicle like a brand-new car, a bike, or even a lawn mower. 

Futuristic cars, with their first-class design and efficiency, have started to introduce 1000 Horsepower on their engines, which means that the car can drive at the speed of about 300 miles per hour.