1. What is Gear Ratio?

The gear ratio is the ratio of the angular velocities of input and output gears in a gear system. It determines the mechanical advantage and speed relationship between connected gears.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the gear ratio formula:

Where:

• Output RPM — Speed of the output gear (revolutions per minute)
• Input Teeth — Number of teeth on the input gear
• Input RPM — Speed of the input gear (revolutions per minute)
• Output Teeth — Number of teeth on the output gear

Explanation: The formula calculates how many turns the input gear must make for the output gear to complete one turn, considering both the teeth count and rotational speeds.

3. Importance of Gear Ratio Calculation

Details: Gear ratios are crucial in mechanical design for determining torque multiplication, speed reduction, and power transmission efficiency in gear systems.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter all required values (RPMs and teeth counts). Teeth counts must be positive integers, RPMs must be non-negative numbers. The calculator will compute the gear ratio as a unitless value.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a gear ratio greater than 1 mean?
A: A ratio > 1 indicates speed reduction and torque multiplication (output turns slower than input).

Q2: What does a gear ratio less than 1 mean?
A: A ratio < 1 indicates speed increase and torque reduction (output turns faster than input).

Q3: How does gear ratio relate to mechanical advantage?
A: The gear ratio directly represents the mechanical advantage in terms of torque multiplication.

Q4: Can I calculate RPM from gear ratio?
A: Yes, you can rearrange the formula to solve for any missing variable if you know the other three.

Q5: Does gear ratio affect power transmission?
A: While gear ratio changes torque and speed, in an ideal system, power (torque × speed) remains constant (minus efficiency losses).