Analyze Gears

Supplies and Equipment for this How To Box are available from Flinn Scientific

Investigating Gears Kit AP6501

Simple Machines— Student Laboratory Kit AP6931

Simple Machines Poster AP7397

Input

18 teeth

6 teeth 24 teeth

Idler

Output

The mechanical advantage (MA) of a gear system is determined by the ratio between the number of teeth (radius) on the output gear compared to the input gear. For a gear system with more than two gears, the mechanical advantage of the system is determined by multiplying the mechanical advantage of each two-gear combination. The center gear is known as the idler gear.

6 1 MA of input and idler = —– = —– 18 3 24 4 MA of idler and output = —– = —– 6 1 1 4 4 MA of combination = —– x —– = —– 3 1 3