The watt, a unit of power in the International System of Units, is named after James Watt, the Scottish inventor who vastly improved the efficiency of steam engines in the 18th century. One watt is equivalent to one joule of energy per second, signifying how much energy is transferred or converted. Interestingly, a single watt is roughly the amount of power used by a human heart, pumping about 80 milliliters of blood per beat with a resting heart rate.
In our technology-driven society, watts are pivotal in understanding the energy consumption of electrical devices. For instance, a typical LED light bulb uses about 10 watts, significantly less than an incandescent bulb, highlighting the watt’s role in energy conservation. Moreover, the watt powers our world: everything from the brightness of light bulbs to the performance of supercomputers is measured in watts, underlining its importance in both everyday life and cutting-edge technology.
Horsepower is a unit of power that originated in the 18th century, coined by engineer James Watt to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses. A fascinating aspect is the value assigned to this measurement: 1 British horsepower equals approximately 745.7 watts. To put this into perspective, this means that just one horsepower can light up more than ten 60-watt light bulbs!
Interestingly, the unit became widely adopted not for its precision but as a marketing tool. Since people were familiar with the strength of horses in everyday tasks, comparing engine power to horses made industrial power even more relatable and understandable during the Industrial Revolution. Today, horsepower continues to be an essential metric in the automotive and engine industries worldwide, despite its equine origins.
| Watts | Horsepower (British) |
|---|---|
0
W
|
0
hp
|
10
W
|
0.0134102
hp
|
20
W
|
0.0268204
hp
|
30
W
|
0.0402307
hp
|
40
W
|
0.0536409
hp
|
50
W
|
0.0670511
hp
|
60
W
|
0.0804613
hp
|
70
W
|
0.0938715
hp
|
80
W
|
0.107282
hp
|
90
W
|
0.120692
hp
|
100
W
|
0.134102
hp
|
110
W
|
0.147512
hp
|
120
W
|
0.160923
hp
|
130
W
|
0.174333
hp
|
140
W
|
0.187743
hp
|
150
W
|
0.201153
hp
|
160
W
|
0.214564
hp
|
170
W
|
0.227974
hp
|
180
W
|
0.241384
hp
|
190
W
|
0.254794
hp
|
200
W
|
0.268204
hp
|
210
W
|
0.281615
hp
|
220
W
|
0.295025
hp
|
230
W
|
0.308435
hp
|
240
W
|
0.321845
hp
|
250
W
|
0.335256
hp
|
260
W
|
0.348666
hp
|
270
W
|
0.362076
hp
|
280
W
|
0.375486
hp
|
290
W
|
0.388896
hp
|
300
W
|
0.402307
hp
|
310
W
|
0.415717
hp
|
320
W
|
0.429127
hp
|
330
W
|
0.442537
hp
|
340
W
|
0.455948
hp
|
350
W
|
0.469358
hp
|
360
W
|
0.482768
hp
|
370
W
|
0.496178
hp
|
380
W
|
0.509588
hp
|
390
W
|
0.522999
hp
|
400
W
|
0.536409
hp
|
410
W
|
0.549819
hp
|
420
W
|
0.563229
hp
|
430
W
|
0.576639
hp
|
440
W
|
0.59005
hp
|
450
W
|
0.60346
hp
|
460
W
|
0.61687
hp
|
470
W
|
0.63028
hp
|
480
W
|
0.643691
hp
|
490
W
|
0.657101
hp
|
500
W
|
0.670511
hp
|
510
W
|
0.683921
hp
|
520
W
|
0.697331
hp
|
530
W
|
0.710742
hp
|
540
W
|
0.724152
hp
|
550
W
|
0.737562
hp
|
560
W
|
0.750972
hp
|
570
W
|
0.764383
hp
|
580
W
|
0.777793
hp
|
590
W
|
0.791203
hp
|
600
W
|
0.804613
hp
|
610
W
|
0.818023
hp
|
620
W
|
0.831434
hp
|
630
W
|
0.844844
hp
|
640
W
|
0.858254
hp
|
650
W
|
0.871664
hp
|
660
W
|
0.885075
hp
|
670
W
|
0.898485
hp
|
680
W
|
0.911895
hp
|
690
W
|
0.925305
hp
|
700
W
|
0.938715
hp
|
710
W
|
0.952126
hp
|
720
W
|
0.965536
hp
|
730
W
|
0.978946
hp
|
740
W
|
0.992356
hp
|
750
W
|
1.00577
hp
|
760
W
|
1.01918
hp
|
770
W
|
1.03259
hp
|
780
W
|
1.046
hp
|
790
W
|
1.05941
hp
|
800
W
|
1.07282
hp
|
810
W
|
1.08623
hp
|
820
W
|
1.09964
hp
|
830
W
|
1.11305
hp
|
840
W
|
1.12646
hp
|
850
W
|
1.13987
hp
|
860
W
|
1.15328
hp
|
870
W
|
1.16669
hp
|
880
W
|
1.1801
hp
|
890
W
|
1.19351
hp
|
900
W
|
1.20692
hp
|
910
W
|
1.22033
hp
|
920
W
|
1.23374
hp
|
930
W
|
1.24715
hp
|
940
W
|
1.26056
hp
|
950
W
|
1.27397
hp
|
960
W
|
1.28738
hp
|
970
W
|
1.30079
hp
|
980
W
|
1.3142
hp
|
990
W
|
1.32761
hp
|
1000
W
|
1.34102
hp
|
If you like the website, share it on social media.