Gear Ratio Calculator

Gear Ratio Formula:

\[ \text{Gear Ratio} = \frac{\text{Driving Gear Teeth}}{\text{Driven Gear Teeth}} \]

Gear Ratio:

Unit Converter ▲

Unit Converter ▼

From:	To:

1. What is Gear Ratio?

The gear ratio is the ratio of the number of teeth on the driving gear to the number of teeth on the driven gear. It determines the mechanical advantage and speed relationship between connected gears in a system.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the gear ratio formula:

\[ \text{Gear Ratio} = \frac{\text{Driving Gear Teeth}}{\text{Driven Gear Teeth}} \]

Where:

Driving Gear Teeth — Number of teeth on the input/primary gear
Driven Gear Teeth — Number of teeth on the output/secondary gear

Explanation: A gear ratio greater than 1 indicates torque multiplication and speed reduction, while a ratio less than 1 indicates speed increase and torque reduction.

3. Importance of Gear Ratio

Details: Gear ratios are crucial in mechanical design for determining:

Output speed relative to input speed
Torque multiplication or reduction
Mechanical advantage in power transmission systems
Proper matching of motor characteristics to load requirements

4. Using the Calculator

Tips:

Count the teeth on both gears carefully
Identify which gear is driving (input) and which is driven (output)
Enter whole numbers only (gear teeth are always integers)
The result shows how many turns the driven gear makes per one turn of the driving gear

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a 2:1 gear ratio mean?
A: It means the driving gear has twice as many teeth as the driven gear. The driven gear will rotate twice for every rotation of the driving gear, with half the torque.

Q2: How does gear ratio affect speed and torque?
A: Higher gear ratios (greater than 1) reduce speed but increase torque. Lower ratios (less than 1) increase speed but reduce torque.

Q3: Can gear ratio be less than 1?
A: Yes, this indicates the driven gear is larger than the driving gear, resulting in speed increase and torque reduction.

Q4: What's the difference between gear ratio and velocity ratio?
A: For ideal gears (no slip), they're the same. In real systems, velocity ratio may differ slightly due to efficiency losses.

Q5: How do I calculate compound gear ratios?
A: For multiple gear pairs, multiply the individual ratios. For example, two 2:1 reductions in series give an overall 4:1 ratio.