Torque

What is Torque?

The rotational equivalent of force, equal to the applied force multiplied by the perpendicular distance from the pivot to its line of action. It's measured in newton-metres — dimensionally identical to energy, though the two are conceptually distinct and never interchanged.

The five clues

Engineerdle #6 described Torque with five clues, revealed one at a time from hardest to most direct. Each clue points at a different property of the concept.

1. 01A rotational effect, not a straight-line one.
2. 02It depends on both a force and a distance.
3. 03Push the same force further from the pivot and it grows.
4. 04Its SI unit looks identical to that of energy, though the quantities are different.
5. 05It's what a wrench applies to loosen a bolt: force times lever arm.

More Statics concepts

• Pulley SystemPuzzle #28
• LeverPuzzle #24