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Gear Ratio Formula:
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Gear ratio is a fundamental concept in mechanical engineering that represents the relationship between the number of teeth on two meshing gears. It determines the mechanical advantage, speed, and torque in gear systems.
The calculator uses the gear ratio formula:
Where:
Explanation: The ratio represents how many times the driven gear rotates for each rotation of the driver gear. A ratio greater than 1 indicates speed reduction and torque multiplication.
Details: Accurate gear ratio calculation is essential for designing efficient mechanical systems, determining appropriate gear combinations, and predicting performance characteristics in automotive, industrial, and robotic applications.
Tips: Enter the number of teeth for both driven and driver gears. Values must be positive integers greater than zero. The calculator will compute the ratio and display it in the standard "X:1" format.
Q1: What does a gear ratio of 3:1 mean?
A: A 3:1 ratio means the driven gear rotates once for every three rotations of the driver gear, resulting in reduced speed but increased torque.
Q2: Can gear ratio be less than 1?
A: Yes, a ratio less than 1 indicates an overdrive situation where the driven gear rotates faster than the driver gear, increasing speed but reducing torque.
Q3: How does gear ratio affect mechanical advantage?
A: Higher gear ratios provide greater mechanical advantage, allowing smaller input forces to move heavier loads at the expense of speed.
Q4: Are there different types of gear ratios?
A: Yes, different gear systems (spur, helical, bevel, worm) follow the same basic ratio principle but may have additional considerations for efficiency and load capacity.
Q5: How is gear ratio related to gear diameter?
A: For two meshing gears, the gear ratio is inversely proportional to their diameters - the larger gear will have more teeth and rotate slower than the smaller gear.