Differential (mechanical device)
A differential is like a special gearbox inside a car that helps the wheels turn at different speeds when you go around corners. Imagine that you have a toy car with a long piece of paper stuck to the bottom. If you drive the car straight across the paper, it will make a straight line. But what if you want to turn the car? If you try to turn the car while keeping the wheels straight, the paper will wrinkle up and the car won't turn very well. That's because the wheels always want to go at the same speed, so they can't turn independently.
Now imagine that you have a toy car with two drive wheels, each connected to its own motor. If you want to turn the car, you can make one wheel turn faster than the other. This will cause the car to turn in the direction of the slower wheel. But what if you want to go around a corner at high speed? You might need to make the wheels turn at different speeds while still going the same speed overall. That's where the differential comes in.
A differential is like a three-part gearbox that sits between the drive wheels. The first part is a ring gear that stays still, and the second part is a pinion gear that turns with the engine. The third part is a set of small planetary gears that sit between the ring gear and pinion gear. The planetary gears are on an axle that connects to the drive wheels, so they turn the wheels as well.
When you drive straight, the ring gear and pinion gear turn at the same speed, which makes the planetary gears turn around the ring gear without spinning on their own axes. This just means that both the wheels turn the same speed, so the car goes in a straight line. But when you turn, the ring gear and pinion gear start moving at different speeds, which causes the planetary gears to rotate on their axes, and this allows the wheels to turn at different speeds, so the car can make turns without skidding/sliding.
In a way, the differential acts like a mediator or translator between the engine and the wheels, allowing the wheels to change speeds relative to each other so the car can go around corners.
Now imagine that you have a toy car with two drive wheels, each connected to its own motor. If you want to turn the car, you can make one wheel turn faster than the other. This will cause the car to turn in the direction of the slower wheel. But what if you want to go around a corner at high speed? You might need to make the wheels turn at different speeds while still going the same speed overall. That's where the differential comes in.
A differential is like a three-part gearbox that sits between the drive wheels. The first part is a ring gear that stays still, and the second part is a pinion gear that turns with the engine. The third part is a set of small planetary gears that sit between the ring gear and pinion gear. The planetary gears are on an axle that connects to the drive wheels, so they turn the wheels as well.
When you drive straight, the ring gear and pinion gear turn at the same speed, which makes the planetary gears turn around the ring gear without spinning on their own axes. This just means that both the wheels turn the same speed, so the car goes in a straight line. But when you turn, the ring gear and pinion gear start moving at different speeds, which causes the planetary gears to rotate on their axes, and this allows the wheels to turn at different speeds, so the car can make turns without skidding/sliding.
In a way, the differential acts like a mediator or translator between the engine and the wheels, allowing the wheels to change speeds relative to each other so the car can go around corners.
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