To repeat the puzzle: Turn the handle (attached to the small red
circle on the left) in the direction indicated. Does the small green triangle
move up or down? Return to my Puzzle pages
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© Copyright 2001, Jim Loy
To repeat the puzzle: Turn the handle (attached to the small red
circle on the left) in the direction indicated. Does the small green triangle
move up or down?
Answer: The small green triangle goes up. It is easy to
trace the pulleys and gears. The first two wheels (connected by a pulley) turn
clockwise. The first gear (connected by a crossed pulley) goes
counter-clockwise. Then the last two gears go (respectively) clockwise and
counter-clockwise. And the triangle goes up. Each gear turns the opposite
direction of the next gear. Wheels connected by pulleys turn the same
direction. And wheels connected by a crossed pulley turn in opposite direction.
The simple way to figure out a puzzle like this, especially one that is more
complicated, is to trace a path through the system of gears and pulleys, as I
have done on the right (the blue arrow). It is easy.
It is possible to connect pulleys and/or gears so that nothing turns, when they pull in opposite directions or pull the same wheel or gear at different speeds.