In a rear-wheel drive vehicle, what sends power to the differential?

In a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the component responsible for sending power to the differential is the drive shaft. The drive shaft is a long rotating shaft that connects the transmission to the rear differential. It transmits the engine's power from the transmission to the rear wheels through the differential, allowing the vehicle to move. The drive shaft plays a crucial role in converting the rotational energy produced by the engine into the kinetic energy needed to drive the vehicle forward.

The other components, while related to vehicle dynamics, serve different functions. The half shaft typically refers to the shafts that transfer power from the differential to the wheels in a front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configuration. The transfer case is used primarily in four-wheel drive systems to distribute power between the front and rear wheels. The torque tube is a component in some vehicles that serves to maintain alignment and may house the drive shaft, but it does not send power to the differential directly. Therefore, the drive shaft is the correct answer for this scenario.