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Junior Cycle · Junior Cycle Engineering

Junior Cycle Engineering: Gear, belt & chain drives

How often Gear, belt & chain drives comes up on the Engineering papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

CL Asked on 5 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Gear, belt & chain drives, Common Level(9 marks)

Quick ones on Gear, belt & chain drives.

(a)A 20-tooth driver gear turns at 90 rpm and drives a 60-tooth gear. How fast does the 60-tooth gear turn?
  1. 270 rpm
  2. 30 rpm
  3. 60 rpm
(b)A 100 mm driver pulley turns at 60 rpm and drives a 25 mm pulley. What is the output speed?
  1. 150 rpm
  2. 15 rpm
  3. 240 rpm
(c)A small driver gear drives a larger gear. What happens to the speed at the output?
  1. It is slower than the input
  2. It is the same as the input
  3. It is faster than the input
Show the answers

(a) 30 rpm

(b) 240 rpm

(c) It is slower than the input

Your turn: Common Level questions on Gear, belt & chain drives.

Common Level

Asked on 5 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q2f, Q4c
2025Q3f, Q4d
2024Q2b, Q4d
2023Q4a, Q4e
2022Q2e

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Gear, belt & chain drives questions

Gear, belt & chain drives, 3 marks

Why is a vee belt used rather than a flat belt on many machines?

  1. It needs no belt tension at all
  2. It never needs replacing or checking
  3. It wedges in the groove and grips better
Show the answer

It wedges in the groove and grips better

The V-shaped belt wedges into the pulley groove, so friction is higher and it is less likely to slip. It is quiet and cheap, but it still needs checking for wear and tension.

Gear, belt & chain drives, 3 marks

Why is a chain and sprocket used on a bicycle rather than a belt?

  1. It runs completely silently at speed
  2. It will not slip under a heavy load
  3. It never needs any oil
Show the answer

It will not slip under a heavy load

The chain links fit over the sprocket teeth, so the drive is positive and cannot slip, even when pedalling hard uphill. It does need oiling to reduce friction, wear and rust.

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