Piezoelectric Effect Simulator (2D)

Mode

Crystal Type

Applied Force

Applied pressure 0 N

Squeeze the crystal to generate a voltage — the direct piezoelectric effect.

Live Readout

Generated voltage

0.00 V

Deformation

0.0%

Charge displacement

0.00 pm

Mode

Direct

How it works

In a piezoelectric crystal like quartz, the unit cell has no center of symmetry: positive and negative ions sit at slightly offset positions. Squeeze the lattice and those ion sublattices shift relative to each other — the centers of positive and negative charge separate, and that charge separation appears as a measurable voltage across the crystal's faces. This is the direct effect, the basis of piezo lighters, guitar pickups, and force/pressure sensors.

The converse effect runs the same mechanism backward: apply a voltage across the crystal and the electric field pulls the ion sublattices apart, physically straining the lattice and changing the crystal's dimensions. Driven at the right frequency, this converse strain becomes an oscillation — exactly how a quartz watch keeps time and an ultrasound transducer emits sound.

Different crystals have different piezoelectric coefficients (d-constants): PZT ceramics deform and generate charge far more strongly than natural quartz, which is why quartz is prized for its stable, low-drift oscillation while PZT is preferred for actuators and high-output sensors.

Positive ion sublattice Negative ion sublattice