Differential (Mechanical Device)

A differential is a gear train with three drive shafts that has the property that the rotational speed of one shaft is the average of the speeds of the others. A common use of differentials is in motor vehicles, to allow the wheels at each end of a drive axle to rotate at different speeds while cornering. Other uses include clocks and analogue computers.

Differentials can also provide a gear ratio between the input and output shafts.
For example, many differentials in motor vehicles provide a gearing reduction by having fewer teeth on the pinion than the ring gear.

Back to How Gears, Wheels & Axles Work →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Museum entries, images, and facts are drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses.