1 Theory
1.1 Piezoelectricity
The term piezoelectricity refers to the fact that, when a crystal is strained, an electric field is produced within
the substance. As a result of this field, a potential difference develops across the sample. The inverse effect
– that an applied field produces strain – is also observed. Piezoelectricity is exhibited by crystals of quartz,
tourmaline, Rochelle salt and ceramics such as barium titanate. The piezoelectric effect is often used to convert
electrical energy into mechanical energy, and vice versa.
1.2 Acoustic Transducer
A device that can convert electrical energy into acoustic energy, and vice versa, is called an acoustic transducer.
The given acoustic transducer is constructed from a cylinder of barium titanate, to which an aluminum disc is
bonded. A pair of electrodes, one in the center and one around the edge, is evaporated into the cylinder. A
longitudinal compression on the cylinder produces a potential difference between the electrodes, and a longi-
tudinal dilation produces a reverse voltage. The voltage is found to be directly proportional to the magnitude
of the strain. Conversely, when a voltage is applied across the electrodes, the cylinder will lengthen or shorten
accordingly. If the applied is an ac voltage, the cylinder will begin to vibrate with a frequency equal to that of
the applied voltage. As a result, the propagation of a mechanical wave – a sound wave – will take place down the
surrounding medium. Thus the transducer will act as an acoustic transmitter. The objective of this experiment
is to study the frequency response of the impedance of a given acoustic transducer and thereby determine the
resonance frequencies. The impedance may be measured with the help of the circuit given in Fig 1.
Let V1 be the voltage across the transducer and V2 be the voltage across the resistance R. Then the transducer
impedance Z is given by
Z = (V1 /V2 )R
If V1 , V2 are measured, and R is known, then Z can be calculated using the above equation.
2 Apparatus
• Acoustic transducer
• A 1kΩ resistor
• Signal generator
• Oscilloscope
3 Experimental Data
3.1 Table : Table for transducer impedance at different frequencies
4 Result
The impedance characteristics of the given acoustic transducer was determined. From the impedance vs fre-
quency plot, we obtain two peaks due to resonance at frequencies 40.5kHz and 158kHz.
5 Discussion
1. The occurrence of two resonant frequencies observed in the graph can be explained by considering the
equivalent circuit for the piezoelectric material. In the circuit, the series capacitor exhibits high impedance
at low frequencies, functioning similarly to a capacitor in a series circuit that blocks DC voltage. Con-
versely, at higher frequencies, the impedance of the capacitor, which is connected in parallel, increases
2. The decision to take more observations around the resonant frequency was made in order to obtain a more
precise determination of the resonant frequency. By increasing the number of data points in the vicinity
of the resonance, it becomes possible to achieve a more accurate measurement of the exact resonant
frequency.
3. The piezoelectric material has a permanent dipole characteristics, which is formed due to the asymmetry
in the positive and negative ions in the unit cell. The application of an oscillatory external electric field
causes the ions to oscillate, leading to the contraction and elongation of the material.
