Difference Between Gears & Sprocket
Difference Between Gears & Sprocket
A very common question & a very confusing one, when you ask someone about the differences between Gears & sprockets. They would simply refer to it as one & same thing or they would call it a wheel with teeth because they visually look the same but if you actually observe it thoroughly you will find quite a few differences.
Gears & sprockets are used in machines to transfer mechanical power to the desired end. Before understanding the differences, let’s look into what gear and sprocket are.
Gear:
A gear is a wheel with interlocking teeth that mash up with other gears to transfer rotational movement or speed. The teeth of the two connecting gears completely interlock, so when one gear moves; it rotates the other in the opposite direction.
It is used for increasing or decreasing torque & speed by using different sizes of gears.
Sprocket:
A sprocket has the same visual design as a gear because it is also a wheel with teeth. but these teeth are designed in such a way that they don’t interlock with the teeth of another sprocket. They are designed to fit into the slot of a chain or belt.
A bicycle has no gears in it, there are two sprockets connected together with a chain that transfers the motion from one place to another. The other point to note is that when the sprocket moves, the other sprocket moves in the same direction and not opposite as in gears system.
Gears VS Sprocket
| Gears | Sprocket |
| The teeth of two gears interlock with each other | Their teeth do not interlock, they fit into the slots of a chain or belt. |
| The gear transmits motion in any axis | The sprocket transmits motion only in a parallel axis. |
| The transmitted torque is opposite in direction | It transmits torque in the same direction. |
| Usually, multiple gears come together as one gear system for perfect transmission of power. | They usually work with two sprockets & a chain as seen in a bicycle. |
| If one of its teeth is damaged during operation, it will lose some efficiency but it will work. | Damage to one or more than one of the sprocket’s teeth may cause the chain to fall off & break the system. |
| Gears are used in almost every mechanical system such as motors, vehicles, etc. | The most common use of Sprocket besides bicycles is in tracked vehicles such as tanks, and bulldozers, or for transmitting power where gears are unsuitable. |
Types of Chain Sprocket
Types of Gears
We are a professional pinion manufacturer with many years of manufacturing experience. If you have any questions about the difference between gears and pinion, please contact us. Our technicians will be happy to assist you.
