Power-to-Weight Ratio Calculator

Enter the power and weight of a car or machine to calculate the power-to-weight ratio of that device.

Power-to-Weight Ratio Formula

The following formula is used by the calculator above to determine the power to weight ratio of a car of the system.

PTW= P / W

Where PTW is the power to weight ratio
P is power, typically expressed in horsepower
W is weight, typically expressed in lbs or kgs

In the case of a ratio, the most important thing to keep in mind is to make sure units are consistent in the end results. For this, the power can be any unit of power, and the same goes for weight, as long as the power to weight ratio is expressed in those same units. The better the power to weight ratio of a car, the better it typically performs on a straight line as well as a track. A car with a poor power to weight ratio will likely be slow and sluggish around corners.

Power to Weight Ratio Definition

The power to weight ratio is the total power an object produces divided by the total weight of the object or system.

How to calculate power to weight ratio?

First, measure the power output.
Most typically this is the total engine power output of a car or system.
Next, measure the weight.
Measure the weight of the object or the system.
Finally, calculate the power to weight ratio.
Calculate the ratio using the formula above.

FAQ

What is a power to weight ratio?

A power-to-weight ratio measures the efficiency of a system with respect to a total power output per unit of weight.