Final answer:
The Path of contact is the correct term for the path made by the point where two gears make contact, relevant to mechanical engineering and the dynamics of rotating systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Path of contact is the path made by the point where the two gears make contact. This concept is particularly relevant in the field of mechanical engineering, where it pertains to the study of how gears interact and transfer motion and force. To visualize this, consider that as gears rotate, the point of contact between the teeth of two meshing gears traces an arc.
This is similar to the way in which any point on a rotating disc, such as a CD, travels in a circular arc, as all points on the disc move through the same angle in a given amount of time. Likewise, when a ball is slid straight toward the edge on a rotating merry-go-round, its path curves due to the rotation, illustrating how motion and paths are affected in rotating systems.