A cutaway engine cylinder shows the piston, valves and spark through the four strokes of the cycle. Students change engine speed and spark advance and watch the stroke, cycle angle, cylinder pressure and valve states update.
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Gear Train
About this simulation
This simulation shows a driver gear meshing with a driven gear, with an optional second pair on a shared shaft (a compound stage). Sliders set the teeth on each gear and the input speed, and live readouts report gear ratio, output speed, output torque and power. Students discover that a big gear driven by a small one turns slower but with more torque, and that compound stages multiply the ratios. Use it on a whiteboard for a mechanics lesson, or let pairs predict the ratio before checking the readout.
What students can explore
- Set Driver teeth to 16 and Driven teeth to 40, then read the Gear ratio and Output speed.
- Swap the sizes so the driven gear is smaller and watch Output speed rise while Output torque falls.
- Switch Compound stage on and off to see how a second pair multiplies the ratio.
- Raise Input speed and check that Power out only changes a little when the gears are changed.
- Switch between the Front and Angled views to see how the gears mesh.
Learning objectives
- 1Calculate a gear ratio from the number of teeth on two meshing gears.
- 2Explain the trade-off between speed and torque in a gear train.
- 3Predict how a compound stage changes the overall ratio.
- 4Describe why a larger driven gear turns more slowly than its driver.
Questions teachers ask
Is it free to use?
Yes. It is free and runs in any modern browser, including classroom whiteboards and tablets. There is no sign-up and nothing to install.
What is a gear ratio?
The gear ratio is the number of teeth on the driven gear divided by the teeth on the driver. A ratio above 1 slows the output down and increases its torque. In a compound train you multiply the ratio of each stage.
How do I use the gear train simulation?
Drag the sliders for Driver teeth, Driven teeth, Output teeth and Input speed. Use the Compound stage switch to add the second pair, then read the ratio, speed, torque and power in the readouts.
Why does output torque go up when speed goes down?
A gear train transfers nearly the same power, and power is torque times rotation speed. If the output turns slower, the torque must be larger, apart from small losses at each mesh.
Embed this simulation
Drop it into your LMS, blog, or class site — free.
<iframe src="https://kiwibee.io/en/simulations/gear-train-3d-simulation/embed" title="Gear Train | KiwiBee" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen style="width:100%;height:min(70vh,620px);min-height:420px;border:0;border-radius:16px"></iframe>Continue exploring
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