Diagram shows two shafts marked 1 and 2 of length 36 inches and 96 inches respectively. They are connected by two gears at B which has 24 teeth on the shaft 1 and at C which has 72 teeth on the shaft 2. The shaft 1 is connected to a motor at A. The shaft 2 has a gear at D on which a torque T subscript D is applied.

The rotation of gear D with respect to flange A must be computed. Since flange A will serve as the reference, its rotation angle will be taken as zero.

ϕA=0 rad

The rotation of gear B is found from the angle of twist in shaft (1):

ϕ1=ϕB-ϕA   ϕB=ϕA+ϕ1=0 rad+(-0.050724 rad)=-0.050724 rad

Recall that the sign convention for rotation angles is based on the right-hand rule. Here, the rotation angle of gear B is negative. Thus, if you wrap the fingers of your right hand in the direction that gear B rotates, your thumb points in the -x direction.