Technician A says that one planetary gear set can provide gear reduction, overdrive, and reverse. Technician B says that most transmissions today use compound (multiple) planetary gear sets. Which technician is correct?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Technician A is correct because a single planetary gear set can indeed provide gear reduction, overdrive, and reverse, depending on how the gears are engaged and which component (sun gear, planet gears, or ring gear) is held stationary, driven, or used as the output. Technician B is also correct because most modern transmissions use multiple planetary gear sets to achieve a greater range of gear ratios, allowing for improved fuel efficiency and performance.

Technician a Says That One Planetary Gear Set Can Provide