[triple duce]

I have had a dispute going with my mother for years about what is asid a the beginning of every race. Gentlemen start your engines! Why is it start your engines instead of Gentlemen start your motors that my mother has always argued with me that it should be motors instead of engines. Can anyone give me a reason why its gentlemen start your engines and not gentlemen start your motors?

[oncea3fan]

an engine is fuel powered unit and a motor is powered by electricity.that what I was learned is school.

now don't ask me why they call it motor oil , this I never got an answer to

[Team Yates]

Hey triple duce, welcome to the forum, glad you found us! Hopefully, this will be of help to you. A motor - (formally electric motor) converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. An engine - (formally heat engine) converts chemical energy or heat energy into mechanical energy. The 3 main types are - internal combustion piston engine (autos), gas turbine (jet aircraft) and steam engines. Possibly, if they ever decided to run "Hybrids" they could say, "Gentlemen start your motors?"

[oncea3fan]

Hey! I was on the right path, been along time since I was in school

[Team Yates]

Originally Posted by oncea3fan

Hey! I was on the right path, been along time since I was in school

I looked it up on the internet! That wasn't right on the top of my brain!

[LSC9901]

If we weren't supposed to use the internet to answer questions like that Al Gore would have never invented it !!!!!

[Wampinrock]

Another diferential learned in Tech school in 1961: An engine has the ability to function on it's own...as mentioned above, gas, steam, diesel etc. A motor is functional only by an outside source; like a starter, alternator, generator, power steering pump...caused to operate by being belt driven, gear driver etc. Engines generate power while a motor is powered by an outside source as above. A good example is the starter, it will only operate while receiving electrical input while the engine it starts, may continue to operate on its own (once it is started).

[bevo311evolver]

thats just how it goes! haha

[Zack Man]

Well I don't like the word motors. I was at Kansas the first or second year(somebody correct me if I'm wrong)and the guy said "Gentlemen start your motors" just really really dull.

[rave20]

Or we could go with Richard Petty's comand a few years ago, "OK boys, crank em up."

[Lefty Noob]

Now see, "OK boys, crank em up." is NASCAR!

"Gentlemen, start your engines / motors" is too Indy 500 for my tastes.

[Zack Man]

Originally Posted by rave20

Or we could go with Richard Petty's comand a few years ago, "OK boys, crank em up."

sounds like something DW would say. I like it.

[Souporscotty]

Just as long as they NEVER say "Git-R-Done!"

[jamminj]

Wampin... the way you described an engines ability to sustain operation violates the laws of physics. You've basically described a perpetual motion machine, which is not possible (at least not in our lifetime)
(See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_motion)

If engines could sustain themselves, we wouldn't have gas stations. No conversion of energy is 100% efficient (friction and heat loss being 2 of the reasons why.)

Also, a generators and alternators are not motors. They are basically anti-motors. They convert rotational mechanical energy into electrical energy (motors do the opposite). It is possible to make a generator a motor, but it would require switching all the wiring around, and providing electricity... of course, then it wouldn't be a generator anymore, it'd be a motor

Things must'a changed since 1961

[LSC9901]

WHOA there .... we is jes simple folk here. You keep all that high falootin', techy, geek stuff to yersef. Gimme an engine so's I can get-r-done.