Piezoelectricity

Piezoelectricity is the property of certain solids to become electrically polarised (i.e. to generate an electric field or potential) under the action of a mechanical stress. The property is used, for example, when playing vinyl disks.

The piezoelectric effect was studied by Pierre Curie.

A few examples of materials having piezoelectric properties:

• quartz;
• topaz;
• tourmaline;
• ceramics with a crystalline perovskite structure or tungsten-bronze structures;
• polymers based on rubber, wool, hair, wood and silk fibres.