Year 6 · Design and technology · Mechanical systems · Lesson 2
Gears
Gears: driver and driven gears, meshing and direction, speed changes with gear size, idler gears, gear ratios and everyday uses.
13-minute video lesson
Teaching, worked examples and 20 practice questions solved step by step.
Watch free for a monthWhat your child will learn
- Explain how gears work
- Predict gear direction
- Predict speed changes
- Choose gears for a purpose
The method
- Driver?
- Direction.
- Speed.
- Suits the job?
Key words: gear, driver, driven, mesh, idler, gear ratio.
Worked examples
The first three practice questions from the lesson, with every step.
Question 1
What is a gear?
- Step 1: Teeth
Answer: a wheel with teeth
Question 2
What is the ‘driver’ gear?
- Step 1: Turned
Answer: the gear that is turned first (input)
Question 3
What is the ‘driven’ gear?
- Step 1: Pushed
Answer: the gear turned by the driver (output)