Piezoelectricity ― An Introduction to the Theory and Applications of Electromechanical Phenomena in Crystals

A complete and systematic treatise on the physical properties and the practical applications of piezoelectrical crystals, this two-volume survey was prepared by an expert in the field for researchers and students of physics. Volume One examines the fundamental properties of crystals and various formulations of piezoelectric theory, including production and measurement. Volume Two begins with discussions of the properties and techniques of quartz, the quartz resonator, and the piezo oscillator.
A seven-chapter section on ferroelectric crystals follows, offering comprehensive descriptions of the properties of Rochelle salt. The final four chapters address various applications of piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity, optical properties of crystals, and the atomic theory of piezoelectricicty. Two Appendixes supplement the text, along with an extensive selection of problems.

American physicist and electrical engineer Walter Guyton Cady (1874–1974) was on the faculty of Wesleyan University from 1902–46. He was among the pioneering scientists who studied the phenomenon of piezoelectricity. Derived from the Greek term for "to press," piezoelectricity is the electric charge that accumulates in some solid materials in response to applied mechanical stress. The piezoelectric effect has innumerable real-world applications in science, engineering, and everyday life.