The simulator demonstrates how mechanical stress on an asymmetric crystal lattice separates positive and negative charge centers to generate voltage (the direct effect), and conversely how an applied voltage deforms the same lattice to produce physical motion (the converse effect), while contrasting this with a centrosymmetric lattice that produces no piezoelectric response at all.
Select a crystal type, such as an asymmetric piezoelectric lattice or a centrosymmetric lattice like sodium chloride, then use the stress slider to compress or stretch the lattice and observe the resulting charge separation and generated voltage on the meter. Switch to voltage mode to apply an electric field directly and watch the lattice physically deform in response, illustrating the converse effect. Toggle between crystal types to see why symmetric lattices produce zero net polarization under identical stress.
Crystal type selector (piezoelectric asymmetric lattice vs. centrosymmetric lattice), stress/force slider for the direct effect, applied voltage slider for the converse effect, and a mode toggle switching between direct and converse effect visualization.
Quartz watch crystals are typically cut and shaped so their natural mechanical resonance is exactly 32,768 vibrations per second, a power of two chosen so simple digital counting circuits can divide it down to produce one clean pulse per second for timekeeping.
The simulator demonstrates how mechanical stress on an asymmetric crystal lattice separates positive and negative charge centers to generate voltage (the direct effect), and conversely how an applied voltage deforms the same lattice to produce physical motion (the converse effect), while contrasting this with a centrosymmetric lattice that produces no piezoelectric response at all.
The simulator demonstrates how mechanical stress on an asymmetric crystal lattice separates positive and negative charge centers to generate voltage (the direct effect), and conversely how an applied voltage deforms the same lattice to produce physical motion (the converse effect), while contrasting this with a centrosymmetric lattice that produces no piezoelectric response at all.
Select a crystal type, such as an asymmetric piezoelectric lattice or a centrosymmetric lattice like sodium chloride, then use the stress slider to compress or stretch the lattice and observe the resulting charge separation and generated voltage on the meter. Switch to voltage mode to apply an electric field directly and watch the lattice physically deform in response, illustrating the converse effect. Toggle between crystal types to see why symmetric lattices produce zero net polarization under identical stress.
Quartz watch crystals are typically cut and shaped so their natural mechanical resonance is exactly 32,768 vibrations per second, a power of two chosen so simple digital counting circuits can divide it down to produce one clean pulse per second for timekeeping.