In terms of gears, what happens to speed and torque when the input gear is smaller than the output gear?

When considering a scenario where the input gear is smaller than the output gear, it is important to understand the relationship between gear size, speed, and torque. In this setup, the smaller input gear will rotate more times than the larger output gear for each full rotation of the output gear. This principle follows the mechanics of gear trains.

As a result, the output gear will turn slower compared to the input gear. This occurs because the smaller gear must complete multiple rotations to turn the larger gear once. Consequently, while the output gear is moving slower, it will have an increase in torque. This is because torque is transferred through gears such that when the radius of the gear increases (as is the case when moving from a smaller input gear to a larger output gear), the output torque increases in proportion to the difference in size between the two gears.

Thus, in this case, since the output gear turns slower than the input gear, but with greater torque due to the mechanical advantage created by the size difference, the correct understanding aligns with the option that states the output gear turns slower while producing more torque.