1. What is Gear Ratio?

The gear ratio is the ratio of the number of teeth on the driven gear to the number of teeth on the driver gear. It determines the mechanical advantage and speed relationship between two meshing gears.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the gear ratio formula:

Where:

• Teeth on Driven Gear — Number of teeth on the output gear
• Teeth on Driver Gear — Number of teeth on the input gear

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

3. Importance of Gear Ratio

Details: Gear ratios are crucial in mechanical systems for controlling speed, torque, and direction of rotation. They're used in vehicles, industrial machinery, clocks, and many other mechanical devices.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the number of teeth for both gears (must be positive integers). The calculator will compute the ratio of driven gear to driver gear.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does a gear ratio of 3:1 mean?
A: It means the driven gear rotates once for every three rotations of the driver gear, resulting in reduced speed but increased torque.

Q2: How does gear ratio affect speed and torque?
A: Higher gear ratios decrease output speed but increase torque, while lower ratios increase speed but decrease torque.

Q3: Can gear ratio be less than 1?
A: Yes, when the driven gear has fewer teeth than the driver 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 might differ slightly due to efficiency losses.

Q5: How do I calculate compound gear ratios?
A: Multiply the individual gear ratios of each gear pair in the compound system.