Garage gears

It was another busy day on the homestead for Badger and Yote. The two friends had spent the morning tending to chores, but now they were faced with a bigger problem: their old reliable tractor had broken down just when they needed it the most. The engine was sputtering, gears grinding, and the whole thing was stuck in the middle of their field, refusing to budge.

Now, in their bustling garage shop, Badger and Yote were elbow-deep in grease and tools, determined to fix their tractor before the day was out. The shop smelled of oil and fresh wood shavings, and the shelves were cluttered with wrenches, nuts, bolts, and spare parts that had seen years of hard use.

Yote, studying the tractor’s open engine, looked over at Badger. “You know, fixing this old gal is like solving a puzzle. If one part is out of place, the whole thing won’t work.”

Badger grinned, reaching for a heavy wrench. “Sounds like you’re cooking up a brain teaser while we’re at it.”

Yote nodded. “Indeed I am. But this one’s a bit trickier than our usual riddles. Let’s see if you can figure it out while we work.”

The tractor has 3 gears of different sizes that are crucial to its operation:

• Gear A: 12 teeth

• Gear B: 16 teeth

• Gear C: 24 teeth

The gears are connected in a sequence: A ➡ B ➡ C, meaning Gear A drives Gear B, which drives Gear C. If Gear A makes 6 complete rotations, how many rotations will Gear C make?

Can you figure out how many rotations Gear C makes when Gear A turns 6 times?

Hint: Think about the relationship between the number of teeth in each gear and how that affects their rotations.

🧠 Brain juice

This puzzle illustrates how the smallest details can have a big impact—much like fixing a broken machine. Solving mechanical puzzles like this sharpens your problem-solving skills, and following along with Badger and Yote’s adventures lets you practice thinking like a mechanic. Our brain games newsletter delivers puzzles daily to challenge your mind and spark your curiosity.