When gears are engaged, how do the notches spin?

When gears are engaged, the notches actually function as interlocking points between the gears, facilitating movement and torque transfer between them. When one gear rotates, it causes the other gear to rotate as well. In this process, both notches indeed spin in accordance with the movement of their respective gears.

Each notch attached to the gears will turn a certain distance based on the rotation of the gears. If one gear has a notch that completes a half-rotation, the corresponding notch on the other gear will also make a half-rotation. This means that they spin the same amount, maintaining a consistent relationship dictated by their gear ratio.

Understanding this principle of gear mechanics is essential, particularly in applications involving machinery and vehicles, where the synchronization of movement between gears impacts performance and efficiency.