The production of a voltage from deformation is called?

• A. impedance
• B. piezoelectricity
• C. cogeneration
• D. flux

Answer: (B)

Piezoelectricity is the production of an electric voltage when certain crystals or ceramics are mechanically deformed. In materials with non-centrosymmetric crystal structures, applying stress shifts charges within the lattice, creating surface charges and a measurable voltage—this is the direct piezoelectric effect. This principle underlies how ultrasound transducers convert electrical energy into sound and, conversely, how they can generate a voltage when deformed by acoustic pressure. The other terms don’t describe this phenomenon: impedance relates to opposition to alternating current, flux is about magnetic field through a surface, and cogeneration means producing electricity alongside another form of useful energy.