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Engine Displacement Formula:
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Engine displacement is the total volume of air/fuel mixture an engine can draw in during one complete engine cycle. It's a key indicator of an engine's size and potential power output, typically measured in cubic inches or liters.
The calculator uses the engine displacement formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates the volume of a single cylinder (πB²S/4) and multiplies it by the number of cylinders to get total engine displacement.
Details: Engine displacement is crucial for understanding engine performance characteristics, fuel efficiency, emissions, and vehicle classification. Larger displacement typically means more power but also higher fuel consumption.
Tips: Enter bore and stroke measurements in inches, and the number of cylinders. All values must be positive numbers. For metric measurements, convert to inches first (1 inch = 25.4 mm).
Q1: What's the difference between bore and stroke?
A: Bore is the diameter of the cylinder, while stroke is the distance the piston travels within the cylinder.
Q2: How does displacement relate to engine power?
A: Generally, larger displacement means more potential power, but engine design, compression ratio, and forced induction also significantly affect power output.
Q3: Can I use metric measurements?
A: Yes, but convert to inches first or modify the formula to use consistent units throughout the calculation.
Q4: Why divide by 4 in the formula?
A: The division by 4 comes from the area calculation of a circle (πr²) where r = B/2, so π(B/2)² = πB²/4.
Q5: Does displacement affect fuel economy?
A: Generally yes - larger displacement engines tend to consume more fuel, though modern engine technologies can mitigate this relationship.