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Subjects · Leaving Cert Engineering

Leaving Cert Engineering: Mechanisms & drives

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

HL Asked on 9 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

OL Asked on 9 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

June 2028 is the first exam on the new Engineering course. These come from the 2016–2025 papers, so read them as a guide.

Mechanisms & drives, Higher Level(8 marks)

Quick ones on Mechanisms & drives.

(a)What does an idler gear placed between a driver and a driven gear do?
  1. Changes the gear ratio between driver and driven
  2. Makes the driven gear turn the same way as the driver
  3. Increases the output torque at the driven gear
(b)Why is a worm and wheel used in a winch or hoist?
  1. It raises the output speed
  2. It changes rotary to reciprocating motion
  3. Large reduction, and the load cannot drive it back
(c)A cam and follower converts?
  1. Rotary motion to reciprocating motion
  2. Oscillating motion to continuous rotation
  3. Linear motion to rotary motion
Show the answers

(a) Makes the driven gear turn the same way as the driver

(b) Large reduction, and the load cannot drive it back

(c) Rotary motion to reciprocating motion

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Mechanisms & drives.

Higher Level

Asked on 9 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q9
2024Q1(m), Q9
2023Q9
2022Q1(d), Q1(e), Q9
2021Q9
2019Q1(e), Q8
2018Q8
2017Q8
2016Q8

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

More Mechanisms & drives questions

Mechanisms & drives, 2 marks

Gears used to transmit drive between two shafts at 90° whose axes meet?

  1. Spur gears
  2. Helical gears on parallel shafts
  3. Bevel gears
Show the answer

Bevel gears

Bevel gears have cone-shaped teeth and appear in hand drills and car differentials. Spur and parallel helical gears connect parallel shafts; a worm connects shafts that do not meet.

Mechanisms & drives, 3 marks

A motor is fitted with a 100 : 1 gearbox. The output shaft turns?

  1. At the same speed, with 100 times the power
  2. 100 times slower, with much greater torque
  3. 100 times faster, with less torque
Show the answer

100 times slower, with much greater torque

Reduction gearing trades speed for torque. Ignoring losses the power is unchanged, so torque rises about 100 times. Used in robots and other slow, strong drives.

Mechanisms & drives, 3 marks

A drawback of helical gears on parallel shafts?

  1. They create an end (axial) thrust on the bearings
  2. They cannot carry heavy loads
  3. They change the direction of drive by 90°
Show the answer

They create an end (axial) thrust on the bearings

The angled teeth push the gear along its shaft, so thrust bearings are needed. Double helical (herringbone) gears cancel the thrust.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 9 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q2
2024Q1(a)
2023Q1(j)
2022Q1(d), Q1(e), Q2
2021Q1(c)
2019Q1(f)
2018Q1(c), Q1(l)
2017Q1(i), Q1(m)
2016Q1(d), Q1(i)

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

More Mechanisms & drives questions

Mechanisms & drives, 2 marks

A driver gear of 20 teeth meshes with a driven gear of 60 teeth. Gear ratio?

  1. 1 : 3
  2. 40 : 1
  3. 3 : 1
Show the answer

3 : 1

Gear ratio = driven teeth ÷ driver teeth = 60 ÷ 20 = 3, written 3 : 1. The driven gear turns 3 times slower.

Mechanisms & drives, 3 marks

A motor turns at 300 rev/min through a 3 : 1 reduction. Output speed?

  1. 303 rev/min
  2. 100 rev/min
  3. 900 rev/min
Show the answer

100 rev/min

Output speed = input speed ÷ ratio = 300 ÷ 3 = 100 rev/min. A reduction lowers the speed but increases the turning force (torque).

Mechanisms & drives, 2 marks

A machine lifts a 600 N load with an effort of 150 N. Mechanical advantage?

  1. 4
  2. 0.25
  3. 450
Show the answer

4

MA = load ÷ effort = 600 ÷ 150 = 4. The machine multiplies the effort 4 times.

Other Engineering topics

All of Leaving Cert Engineering