Gear Ratio Formula:
From: | To: |
Gear ratio (GR) is a measure of the rotational speed relationship between two interlocking gears. It represents how many times the input gear must rotate to produce one full rotation of the output gear.
The calculator uses the gear ratio formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates the ratio between input and output rotational speeds, indicating the mechanical advantage or reduction provided by the gear system.
Details: Gear ratio calculation is essential for designing mechanical systems, determining torque multiplication, speed reduction, and ensuring proper power transmission in various applications from automotive transmissions to industrial machinery.
Tips: Enter both input and output RPM values in revolutions per minute. Both values must be positive numbers greater than zero for accurate calculation.
Q1: What does a gear ratio greater than 1 indicate?
A: A ratio greater than 1 indicates speed reduction and torque multiplication, where the output shaft rotates slower than the input shaft but with increased torque.
Q2: What does a gear ratio less than 1 indicate?
A: A ratio less than 1 indicates speed increase and torque reduction, where the output shaft rotates faster than the input shaft but with decreased torque.
Q3: How is gear ratio related to mechanical advantage?
A: The gear ratio directly represents the mechanical advantage - a higher ratio provides greater torque multiplication at the expense of speed reduction.
Q4: Can gear ratio be applied to systems with more than two gears?
A: Yes, for compound gear systems, the overall ratio is the product of the individual gear ratios between each pair of meshing gears.
Q5: How does gear ratio affect efficiency?
A: While gear ratio itself doesn't determine efficiency, more complex gear systems with higher reduction ratios typically have slightly lower efficiency due to increased friction and mechanical losses.