What is the piezoelectric effect?

Piezoelectricity is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials (such as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA and various proteins) in response to applied mechanical stress. The word piezoelectricity means electricity resulting from pressure and latent heat. French physicists Jacques and Pierre Curie discovered piezoelectricity in 1880.

It may be a surprise to learn that the use of piezoelectricity is more common than it appears to be. Piezoelectric ignitors are used on push-button cigarette lighters, push-button grills, and many other devices. Piezoelectrical ignition creates enough energy that a small hammer strikes a crystal within the device. When this crystal is struck, it creates voltage. Quartz is typically the material used to generate this spark. The durability of this material makes such lighters long-lasting and very dependable.