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Flywheel vs Freewheel - What's the difference?

flywheel | freewheel |

As nouns the difference between flywheel and freewheel

is that flywheel is a rotating mass used to maintain the speed of a machine within certain limits while the machine receives or releases energy at a varying rate while freewheel is a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft.

As a verb freewheel is

to continue spinning after disengagement.

flywheel

English

Noun

(wikipedia flywheel) (en noun)
  • a rotating mass used to maintain the speed of a machine within certain limits while the machine receives or releases energy at a varying rate

    • See also

    * angular momentum

    freewheel

    English

    (wikipedia freewheel)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (of a gear) To continue spinning after disengagement.
  • (of a cyclist) To ride a bicycle without pedalling, e.g. downhill.
  • (of a motorist) To operate a motor vehicle which is coasting without power, e.g. downhill.
  • (by extension) To operate free from constraints.