Motor output is measured in units of power, such as watts or horsepower. Power is directly related to voltage and amps, so power is calculable from these units. Voltage measures the electrical output of energy, given the presence of a certain number of electrons. Amps measures the number of electrons per second that are being transmitted. By assessing the number of amps present and the energy that is extractable, you can calculate the power output of your motor.
Instructions
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1
Reference the voltage and amps of the motor. This information is usually printed on a label on the motor. If the motor plugs into a standard U.S. wall outlet, use 110 volts.
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2
Multiply volts by the amps to calculate power in watts. As an example, a 110-volt motor which uses 5 amps outputs 550 watts of power.
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3
Multiply watts by 0.00134 to convert to horsepower. In the example, a 550-watt motor outputs 0.737 horsepower.