[Help] Calculating impact force

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around measuring the impact force applied to a piezoelectric crystal during an experiment. Participants explore methods to quantify this force, particularly in the context of mechanical tapping on the crystal.

Discussion Character

  • Experimental/applied
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about calculating the force applied to a piezoelectric crystal when tapped, noting the difficulty in measuring displacement.
  • Another participant suggests using a ratcheting spring mechanism to measure the compression distance caused by the taps.
  • A later reply proposes that a simpler marking mechanism could suffice to track the spring's compression without a ratchet, emphasizing that this method would only yield the peak force.
  • Another participant expresses intent to use Hooke's Law with a spring and suggests marking the spring's peak compression with a ruler and paper.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on a single method for measuring the impact force, as participants propose different approaches and tools for the task.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not detailed the assumptions underlying their proposed methods, such as the characteristics of the spring or the specifics of the tapping mechanism. The discussion does not resolve the mathematical steps required to calculate the force.

themadquark
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I am currently working on an experiment with piezoelectricity and was wondering how I would measure the force applied to the crystal. I have been tapping the crystal with a screw driver and was wondering how I would calculate the force of these taps as I cannot find the amount of displacement in the crystal. Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
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themadquark said:
I am currently working on an experiment with piezoelectricity and was wondering how I would measure the force applied to the crystal. I have been tapping the crystal with a screw driver and was wondering how I would calculate the force of these taps as I cannot find the amount of displacement in the crystal. Any help is greatly appreciated.

You could rig up a ratcheting spring mechanism. The spring compresses with the tap, and the distance it compresses is measured with a ratcheting rod of some sort...
 
On second thought, you don't need a ratchet. You just need some marking mechanism to mark a rod as the spring compresses. Measure how far the mark goes.

BTW, this will just give you the peak force. You would need to video tape it to figure out the force versus time graph...
 
Thanks, I was thinking to rig up a sort of spring and just use Hooke's Law. I'm guessing I could probably use a ruler and sheet of paper to mark the spring's peak and compression.
 

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