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We might think of piezoelectricity as an effect that converts mechanical stress into voltage, but it seems to me that the more precise interpretation is the following: a piezoelectric transducer generates an electric charge in response to mechanical stress. Modeling a Piezoelectric Transducer Generating Charge When we consider the nature of the piezoelectric effect, it’s not surprising that a piezoelectric device can function as a force sensor: the use of piezoelectric material allows a transducer to respond in a reliable and predictable way to the mechanical stress caused by an applied force, or by pressure or acceleration (both of which are related to force).
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However, it seems to me that the word “transducer” is used primarily to describe a device that converts a physical quantity into an electrical signal-i.e., a sensor. A motor or solenoid is, strictly speaking, a transducer, because it converts an electrical signal into mechanical motion. The etymology might help you to remember the meaning: in Latin ducere means “to lead” and trans means “across, beyond, on the other side.” So a transducer is something that leads a signal across the boundary that separates, for example, mechanical variations from electrical variations.Ī transducer is not necessarily a sensor. The word “transducer” usually refers to a device that performs a conversion between the physical realm and the electrical realm. In piezoelectric materials, physical deformation of the crystalline structure, as depicted in this diagram, causes the material to develop an electrical charge. Their electrical behavior responds in a predictable way to mechanical stress, and clever individuals have discovered various ways to incorporate this phenomenon into the world of technology. You can apply all types of physical force to transistors, LEDs, resistors, etc., and in doing so you’re not likely to produce any useful functionality. The bottom line is that the piezoelectric effect is a bridge between the mechanical world and the electrical world. I don’t want to dwell on the physics of piezoelectricity it’s an expansive subject, and the second article listed in the Related Information section (above) provides a good introduction. However, quartz is only one of many materials that exhibit piezoelectric behavior, and the functionality of piezoelectric components is not limited to generating clock signals. At this very moment, countless electronic devices are being clocked by oscillator circuits built around a quartz crystal.
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Most of us are familiar with the piezoelectric effect because of its role in generating high-precision timing signals.