Piezoelectricity

Piezoelectric Materials

When a piece of piezoelectric material is mechanically deformed, a current will flow and charge its faces. and vice versa, it will be deformed when exerted to an electrical field.

Q=d\times F

Here:

$Q$: charge stored
$d$: charge sensitivity (a material property)
$F$: applied force

For a piezoelectric capacitor:

C=\epsilon\frac{A}{t} \implies V=\frac{d}{\epsilon}\sigma t

Here:

$V$: applied voltage
$d$: charge sensitivity
$\epsilon$: permittivity
$\sigma$: applied stress
$t$: thickness

Uses

Converting mechanical stresses into electrical signals
Producing ultrasonic sounds
Producing X-rays
Converting sounds to electrical signals
In nano-precision actuators

Piezoelectric Transducer

Can be used to measure changes in pressure, force, acceleration, strain by converting them into an electrical signal. The applied force (or pressure) to piezoelectric crystal would generate a voltage.

Written by

Sahithyan K.

November 3, 2026 1 min read

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