Continue with Microsoft TeamsRead More About Gears
Vocabulary
Read the vocabulary terms to understand the reading better.
A gear is a wheel with teeth around it that slot together with other gears.
In a gear train, several gears contact each other, and each gear moves in the opposite direction of its neighbours.
A pulley is a simple machine that uses a wheel that has a groove in it.
Opposite Directions
Pulleys and gears can change the direction of motion. In a gear train, several gears contact each other. Each gear moves in the opposite direction of its neighbours.
Imagine a machine that uses gears like the ones above. But there is a problem—the two gears need to move in the same direction. How could you do that?
This problem is not difficult to solve. Simply insert a gear in the middle.
You can connect two pulleys with a belt or chain. This makes a drive system. Both pulleys will move in the same direction.
If the belt is crossed between two pulleys, the pulleys will move in opposite directions.
