An accelerometer is used to measure acceleration.
An accelerometer is a device that allows measurement of acceleration . Acceleration, meanwhile, is called the act and result of accelerating and the magnitude that refers to the change in speed in a unit of time .
It should be noted that accelerating is the action that is developed to increase speed . Speed, on the other hand, is the magnitude that reveals the distance traveled by a body in a time unit.
In short, accelerating something (a car, for example) involves increasing its speed. This way, what was accelerated moves faster, traveling more meters in less time . The accelerometer, in this framework, is the instrument that can measure acceleration.
How an accelerometer works
The accelerometer is also referred to as an acceleration sensor . This is because, precisely, it consists of a sensor that measures how much something accelerates or decelerates.
To fulfill its function, the accelerometer is based on the acceleration applied to a mass balanced between springs. This process generates vibrations in the mass.
When vibrating, then, the mass compresses a piezoelectric material and an electric charge is produced. In this way the level of vibrations generated by the movement can be recorded.
In other words: acceleration causes the mass to compress the piezoelectric material, producing an electric charge that is proportional to the force exerted. Since charge is proportional to force and mass is constant, charge is in turn proportional to acceleration.
In a car, an accelerometer can provide information about the brakes or activate the airbag.
Device uses
Typically, the accelerometer is used in heavy vehicles such as airplanes or trains and in different machines . Its use is not so common in cars , although it can help analyze how effective the brakes are, for example.
In modern cars, the accelerometer may be linked to the airbag . A car that brakes suddenly and abruptly registers a strong deceleration; When the sensor detects this change, it can transmit the information to deploy the airbag almost immediately.
On the other hand, an accelerometer, by monitoring the vibrations of a machine, can provide valuable data on the state of its rotating elements. Another possibility is to carry out a structural test with the accelerometer to discover, from vibrations, the safety conditions of a tank, a turbine or an engine.
The accelerometer on the phone
Smartphones , known in English as smartphones , feature several sensors. One of them is the accelerometer, which is used to measure the change in speed due to movement or gravity .
With the accelerometer, the phone can “perceive” a change in its orientation or position . Cell phones or mobile phones usually have a three-axis accelerometer , thus identifying the orientation of the equipment with respect to the earth's surface.
It is important not to confuse the accelerometer with the gyroscope . While the accelerometer measures acceleration, the gyroscope studies spatial orientation. For this, it uses a rotor (a disc that rotates freely), located on a rotating shaft that is installed in the center of a wheel. On the phone, accelerometer and gyroscope complement each other.