Moments

• The moment is the product of the force and its perpendicular distance from the pivot
• The teeth of different gears lock together and the gear can turn on an axle, turning the other gears it is connected to.
• Where the teeth meet, they must move in the same direction. This means that the gears rotate in opposite directions. If one gear is turning clockwise, it will turn the connected gear anticlockwise.
• When gears are connected, the same force is applied to each; however, if they are different sizes, they will produce different moments. This is because the moment is calculated using the distance from the pivot (the radius of the gear) and if the gear is smaller, it will move a shorter distance. If the gear is larger, it will move a greater distance.