If gear #2 is rotating counterclockwise, in what direction is gear #4 rotating in a four-gear system?

In a four-gear system, when one gear rotates, it directly impacts the direction of rotation of the adjacent gears. Gears are designed to mesh with each other, which means the direction of rotation alternates.

If gear #2 is rotating counterclockwise, gear #3, which is directly connected to it, will rotate in the opposite direction, which is clockwise. Following this logic, gear #4, meshed with gear #3, will again rotate in the opposite direction to gear #3. As a result, gear #4 will rotate counterclockwise.

This alternating pattern of rotation is a fundamental principle in gear systems. Each consecutive gear reverses the rotation direction of the gear it is meshed with. Thus, if gear #2 is counterclockwise, the pattern confirms that gear #4 indeed rotates counterclockwise as well.