Question

A series of 4 gears (W,X,Y,Z) is driven by pulley V and a belt. If V turns in the direction shown, which gears will rotate clockwise?

1) W and Z
2) X and Y
3) W, X, Y, and Z
4) None of the gears will rotate clockwise

Answer 1

In a series of gears connected in series and driven by a pulley, adjacent gears rotate in opposite directions. Thus, if the first gear rotates clockwise, the next gear will rotate counterclockwise, and so on. Therefore, in this scenario, gears X and Y would rotate clockwise, not W and Z.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to how gears interact when connected in series and driven by a pulley. When pulley V turns in a specific direction, it causes a chain reaction among the connected gears W, X, Y, and Z.

If gear W turns clockwise due to the motion of pulley V, gear X would turn counterclockwise since it meshes with W. Similarly, gear Y, being meshed with X, would turn clockwise, and gear Z, meshed with Y, would rotate counterclockwise. Thus, in a series of gears, adjacent gears rotate in opposite directions. Therefore, the correct answer would be that gears W and Z will rotate counterclockwise, while gears X and Y will rotate clockwise.