Gearbox -physics related question

Originally Posted by 114Klutz

If you make the flywheel smaller - then it takes less time for the wheel to reach full speed - but it will make no difference in total power.

This explanation might be a little confusing, but I hope this is helpful.

Actually, that's entirely spot on. Inside of a FIRST drive train, by making all gear and wheel components lighter, you'll gain acceleration. You won't pick up any extra torque or power.

On a car, it's somewhat different. The general rule is that for every powered pound you lose (brakes, axles, etc), you gain 1HP. For every 10 un-powered pound (seats, body, frame, etc), you gain 1HP. However, on a FIRST bot, we're not dealing with nearly enough power to get anywhere close to that kind of gain.

Good method of explaining, 114Klutz.

Making a drive system light is a good thing to shoot for. If you're really interested in lightning acceleration, do some research on the recent 254/968 drive system. Their entire gearbox weighed 1 pound. They were the fastest accelerating bot I've seen on the field.