How many watts are there in one horsepower?

One horsepower is equivalent to 746 watts. This conversion is based on the definition of horsepower, which was developed in the late 18th century by James Watt to help market his steam engines. It was determined that one horsepower could do 550 foot-pounds of work per second, which translates to 746 watts when measured in the metric system.

This measurement is crucial in various applications, particularly in electrical engineering and motors, where understanding power output and efficiency is vital for performance calculations. Thus, knowing that one horsepower equals 746 watts helps in accurately converting power ratings from horsepower to watts when dealing with machinery, motors, and energy consumption.