Piezoelectricity: Why quartz ticks
- November 27, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Piezoelectricity: Why quartz ticks
Subject : Science and Tech
Section: Msc
Introduction
- Piezoelectricity is a remarkable phenomenon whereby some materials – including quartz, ceramics such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and even certain biological substances like bone and the tendons – can generate an electric charge in response to mechanical stress.
What is the Piezoelectric Effect?
- The piezoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which certain materials produce an electrical charge in response to mechanical stress or pressure.
- This effect occurs when the material is subjected to a force that causes its molecules to become polarized, meaning that the positive and negative charges within the material are separated from each other.
- When this polarization occurs, an electric potential is generated across the material, and if the material is connected to a circuit, a current can flow.
- The reverse is also true: if an electric potential is applied to the material, it can cause a mechanical deformation.
- Piezoelectric materials are used in a variety of applications, such as in sensors, actuators, and energy harvesting devices. Some examples of common piezoelectric materials include quartz, ceramics, and certain types of crystals.
- Quartz is the most famous piezoelectric crystal, it is used in this capacity in analog wristwatches and clocks.
- The Piezoelectric effect was discovered in 1880, in quartz, by Jacques and Pierre Curie.
- Some materials also display an inverse piezoelectric effect, where the application of an electric current induces a mechanical deformation.
- Both direct and inverse piezoelectric materials are widely used in pressure sensors, accelerometers, and acoustic devices –where their ability to convert mechanical signals into electrical signals is crucial.
- The piezoelectric effect is also what made quartz watches so common and, over time, affordable.