Piezoelectric

Piezoelectricity is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials (such as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA and various proteins) in response to applied mechanical stress. The word piezoelectricity means electricity resulting from pressure and latent heat.

History

The piezoelectric effect was discovered in 1880 by French physicists Jacques and Pierre Curie. They demonstrated that crystals of tourmaline, quartz, topaz, cane sugar, and Rochelle salt (sodium potassium tartrate tetrahydrate) generate electrical polarization from mechanical stress.

Piezoelectric materials

Piezoelectric materials are materials that have the ability to generate internal electrical charge from applied mechanical stress. They are used in a variety of applications such as the production and detection of sound, generation of high voltages, electronic frequency generation, microbalances, and ultrafine focusing of optical assemblies.

Applications

Piezoelectricity is used in many everyday applications. It is the principle of operation for piezoelectric sensors, especially in the field of medical imaging and industrial nondestructive testing. Other applications include the production and detection of sound, generation of high voltages, electronic frequency generation, microbalances, to drive an ultrasonic nozzle, and ultrafine focusing of optical assemblies.

See also

• Piezoelectric sensor
• Piezoelectric motor
• Piezoelectric accelerometer
• Piezoelectric speaker

References

Piezoelectric Resources
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