Final answer:
Another term used to describe the impeller on a torque converter is a 'turbine'. Torque is the rotational equivalent of force, and the impeller plays a critical role in converting fluid kinetic energy into rotational motion to apply torque in a system. Power in a rotating system is given by the product of torque and angular velocity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term used to describe the impeller used on a torque converter is turbine. In a torque converter, the impeller acts like a fan with blades on a rotating shaft, moved by fluid—such as air, water, or steam. This is crucial in the process of translating kinetic energy from the fluid into mechanical energy, which then can be used to change angular velocity and apply torque.
Torque itself is a measure of the force causing an object to rotate around an axis. The rotary motion and power in a mechanical system, like that of a car’s transmission, are a result of the torque produced by the engine and transmitted through the torque converter. Similarly, torque is also seen in systems such as wind turbines, where kinetic energy from the wind is transformed into electrical energy.
Power in a rotating system is calculated by the formula P = Tω, where T is the torque and ω (omega) is the angular velocity. This equation highlights the direct relationship between torque and the power output in rotational systems.