Editing Pyroelectricity (section)

== History ==
{{See also|Physical crystallography before X-rays#Pyroelectricity}}
The first record of the pyroelectric effect was made in 1707 by [[Johann Georg Schmidt (scientist)|Johann Georg Schmidt]], who noted that the "[hot] [[tourmaline]] could attract the ashes from the warm or burning coals, as the magnet does iron, but also repelling them again [after the contact]".<ref>Johann Georg Schmidt, ''Curiöse Speculationes bey Schalflosen Nächten'' [Curious Speculations During Sleepless Nights] (Chemnitz and Leipzig (Germany): Conrad Stössen, 1707), pages 269-270. An English translation of the relevant passage appears in: Sidney B. Lang, ''Sourcebook of Pyroelectricity'', vol. 2 (New York, New York: Gordon and Breach, 1974), [https://books.google.com/books?id=pqjNNDYdBPkC&pg=PA96 page 96].</ref> In 1717 [[Louis Lemery]] noticed, as Schmidt had, that small scraps of non-conducting material were first attracted to tourmaline, but then repelled by it once they contacted the stone.<ref>"Diverse observations de la physique generale," ''Histoire de l'Académie des Sciences'' (1717); [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5426516z/f16.image see pages 7-8].</ref> In 1747 [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] first related the phenomenon to electricity (he called tourmaline ''Lapidem Electricum'', "the electric stone"),<ref>Carl von Linné ("Linnaeus"), ''Flora Zeylanica: Sistens Plantas Indicas Zeylonae Insulae'' [The Flora of Ceylon: consisting of Indian plants of the island of Ceylon] (Stockholm ("Holmiae"), Sweden: Laurentii Salvii, 1747), [https://books.google.com/books?id=f0Y-AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA8 page 8]. A translation of the relevant passage appears in Lang (1974), page 103.</ref> although this was not proven until 1756 by [[Franz Ulrich Theodor Aepinus]].<ref>Aepinus (1756) "Memoire concernant quelques nouvelles experiences électriques remarquables" [Memoir concerning some remarkable new electrical experiments], ''Histoire de l'Académie royale des sciences et des belles lettres'' (Berlin), vol. 12, [https://books.google.com/books?id=mZgDAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA105 pages 105-121].</ref>

Research into pyroelectricity became more sophisticated in the 19th century. In 1824 [[David Brewster|Sir David Brewster]] gave the effect the name it has today.<ref>{{cite journal| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dkQEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA208| pages = 208–215 | first = David | last = Brewster | title = Observations of the pyro-electricity of minerals |journal = The Edinburgh Journal of Science | volume = 1 | year = 1824 }}</ref> Both [[William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin|William Thomson]] in 1878<ref>William Thomson (1878) "On the thermoelastic, thermomagnetic and pyroelectric properties of matter," ''Philosophical Magazine'', series 5, vol. 5, [https://books.google.com/books?id=A5YOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA4 pages 4 - 26].</ref> and [[Woldemar Voigt]] in 1897<ref>W. Voigt (1897) "Versuch zur Bestimmung des wahren specifischen electrischen Momentes eines Turmalins" (Experiment to determine the true specific electric moment of a tourmaline), ''Annalen der Physik'', vol. 60, [https://books.google.com/books?id=iX0EAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA368 pages 368 - 375].</ref> helped develop a theory for the processes behind pyroelectricity. [[Pierre Curie]] and his brother, [[Jacques Curie]], studied pyroelectricity in the 1880s, leading to their discovery of some of the mechanisms behind piezoelectricity.<ref>Jacques Curie & Pierre Curie, "Développement par compression de
l'électricité polaire dans les cristaux hémièdres à faces inclinées", Bulletin de la Société Minéralogique de France, vol. 3 (4), 90-93, 1880.</ref>

It is mistakenly attributed to [[Theophrastus]] (c. 314 BC) the first record of pyroelectricity. The misconception arose soon after the discovery of the pyroelectric properties of [[tourmaline]], which made mineralogists of the time associate the legendary stone ''[[Lyngurium]]'' with it.<ref>Earle R. Caley and John F.C. Richards, ''Theophrastus: On Stones'' (Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University, 1956), page 110, line 12 of the commentary: "Watson identifies the ''lyngounon'' of Theophrastus with tourmaline, but evidently his opinion is partly based on the attractive properties of heated tourmaline which had recently been discovered. This identification is repeated by various later writers. For example, Dana states that ''lyncurium'' is supposed to be the ancient name for common tourmaline. However, the absence of tourmaline among surviving examples of ancient gems is clearly against this view."</ref> [[Lyngurium]] is described in the work of [[Theophrastus]] as being similar to [[amber]], without specifying any pyroelectric properties.<ref>[[Earle R. Caley]] and John F.C. Richards, ''Theophrastus: On Stones'' (Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University, 1956), page 51, paragraph 28 of the original text: "It [''smaragdos''] is remarkable in its powers, and so is the ''lyngourion'' [i.e., lynx-urine stone] ... . It has the power of attraction, just as amber has, and some say that it not only attracts straws and bits of wood, but also copper and iron, if the pieces are thin, as Diokles used to explain."</ref>