Piezoelectricity

For more videos see http://www.vega.org.uk/video/subseries/27 Some minerals such as quartz can produce electricity simply by squeezing or bending them - these are called piezoelectric crystals. Here is a simple and cheap demonstration you can do.

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Science & Technology

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• educational
• science
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• harry
• kroto
• jonathan
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• electricy
• piezo
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[VegaScienceTrust]

The atoms in the crystal are to closely spaced for sound waves to be diffracted, only x-rays can do that. However sound can make the crystal vibrate and this can create a piezo electric voltage. Thats how the stylus on some old record players worked; converting the groove vibrations into electricity to be amplified and then sent to speakers to create sound / music.

[mikeakaspike]

Is there a limit to the amount of electricity that it can produce, in other words if you continue to flick it forever will there be a point in time where the light will stop flashing?

[VegaScienceTrust]

@mikeakaspike No there is no limit to the amount of electricity that it can produce (unless it breaks eventually)!

[deviantcreep]

If I shoot some high decibel sound into a crystal will it do anything like that? Like will the Crystal refract sound like it does with light?

[chicagocumpa]

Neat little demonstration, thanks. Never was taught the interesting science of piezoelectricity in school, but I can recall plenty lectures of how Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity, which always struck me as folklore. After some researching, I now see that people in ancient Greece 1000 years ago had discovered an attraction between amber & fur thanks to piezoelectricity.

[anamneses28]

Wow! That was great! :) I'm a respiratory therapist and the ultrasonic nebulizer uses this process to generate vapor for breathing treatments and I just thought I'd really like to see some of the science behind why a crystal was chosen for such a purpose - and now I see - it's great! Thanks so much - your video was precise and clear. Perfect!

[P4R4C0]

But, will it bend??? Get it? hahahahah

[rugbyf0rlife]

does the material become more dense when a charge is passed through it? Or does it just simply bend.

[MUS1CMAN2010]

how much electricity could be produced from a piece if quartz?

[sheepking410]

if you bend it and hold the bending position, can the light go on without switching off at all?