1. What is Gear Ratio?

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 in a gear system.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the gear ratio formula:

Where:

• \( Driven\ Teeth \) — Number of teeth on the driven gear (unitless)
• \( Driver\ Teeth \) — Number of teeth on the driver gear (unitless)

Explanation: The formula calculates how many times the driven gear rotates for each rotation of the driver gear.

3. Importance of Gear Ratio Calculation

Details: Gear ratio calculation is essential for designing mechanical systems, determining torque multiplication, speed reduction, and efficiency in gear trains and transmission systems.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the number of teeth on both driven and driver gears. Both values must be positive integers greater than zero.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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, providing torque multiplication.

Q2: How does gear ratio affect speed and torque?
A: Higher gear ratios provide more torque but lower output speed, while lower ratios provide higher speed but less torque.

Q3: Can gear ratio be less than 1?
A: Yes, a ratio less than 1 indicates speed increase (overdrive) where the output shaft rotates faster than the input shaft.

Q4: What's the difference between gear ratio and velocity ratio?
A: Gear ratio is based on tooth count, while velocity ratio considers the actual rotational speeds, accounting for slippage and efficiency losses.

Q5: How do I calculate compound gear ratios?
A: For compound gear trains, multiply the individual gear ratios of each gear pair in the system.