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Gears practice questions

25 questions from the mechanical aptitude practice test.

Gears practice test

10 questions, graded as you go, with the reason for every answer. No sign-up.

What this covers

Sample questions

Three gears are meshed in a straight row. The first gear turns clockwise. Which way does the third gear turn?

  1. Counterclockwise
  2. It stays still
  3. It rocks back and forth
  4. Clockwise
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D. Clockwise

Direction reverses at each mesh: the second gear turns counterclockwise and the third turns clockwise again. In a simple train, odd-numbered gears turn the same way as the first.

Reference: Gear drives: direction of rotation

Six gears are meshed in a straight row. The first gear turns clockwise. Which way does the sixth gear turn?

  1. Clockwise
  2. It cannot turn at all
  3. It depends on its size
  4. Counterclockwise
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D. Counterclockwise

Direction flips at each of the five meshes, so even-numbered gears turn opposite to the first. Gear size changes speed, not direction.

Reference: Gear drives: direction of rotation

What does an idler gear placed between a driver gear and a driven gear change?

  1. The direction of the driven gear
  2. The speed of the driven gear
  3. The torque at the driven gear
  4. The overall gear ratio
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A. The direction of the driven gear

An idler makes the driven gear turn the same way as the driver and fills the gap between shafts. The ratio still depends only on the first and last gears, so speed and torque are unchanged.

Reference: Gear drives: idler gears

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