Torque Calculator Formula

Understand the math behind the torque calculator. Each variable explained with a worked example.

Formulas Used

Torque

torque = force * radius * sin(angle_rad)

Variables

VariableDescriptionDefault
forceApplied Force(N)50
radiusLever Arm Distance(m)0.3
angleAngle Between Force and Lever(degrees)90
angle_radDerived value= angle * pi / 180calculated

How It Works

Torque (Moment of Force)

Torque measures the tendency of a force to cause rotation about an axis.

Formula

tau = F * r * sin(theta)

Maximum torque occurs when the force is perpendicular to the lever arm (theta = 90 degrees).

Worked Example

A 50 N force is applied perpendicular to a 0.3 m wrench.

force = 50radius = 0.3angle = 90
  1. 01tau = F * r * sin(theta)
  2. 02tau = 50 * 0.3 * sin(90°)
  3. 03tau = 50 * 0.3 * 1
  4. 04tau = 15 N·m

Ready to run the numbers?

Open Torque Calculator