*3.8.1 Piezoelectric igniters*

This is, perhaps, the most well-known and ubiquitous use of piezoelectricity. In piezoelectric igniters, a button or trigger is used to cock and release a spring-loaded hammer, and the hammer is used to strike a rod shaped piezoelectric ceramic. The sudden mechanical shock to the piezoelectric ceramic produces a rapid rise in voltage that is high enough to jump a sizable spark gap and ignite fuel. Piezoelectric igniters are commonly used for butane lighters, gas grills, gas stoves, blowtorches, and improvised potato cannons.
