A quartz crystal cut so that its major faces are parallel to the Z and Y axes and perpendicular to the X axis is called:

A quartz crystal cut so that its major faces are parallel to the Z and Y axes and perpendicular to the X axis is called:

• A. A Y cut crystal
• B. An X cut crystal
• C. A Z cut crystal
• D. A ZY cut crystal

Answer: (B)

In quartz, a cut is defined by which crystallographic axis is perpendicular to the crystal’s faces. If the major faces lie along the YZ plane, the plane is parallel to the Y and Z axes, so the thickness runs along the X axis. That orientation is called an X-cut. This choice fixes the direction of vibration and how the electric field couples to the crystal, which in turn determines the resonant mode and properties like temperature behavior. For comparison, a Y-cut would have faces parallel to the XZ plane (thickness along Y), and a Z-cut would have faces parallel to the XY plane (thickness along Z). The ZY cut listed isn’t a standard principal cut, so it doesn’t match the described orientation.

In quartz, a cut is defined by which crystallographic axis is perpendicular to the crystal’s faces. If the major faces lie along the YZ plane, the plane is parallel to the Y and Z axes, so the thickness runs along the X axis. That orientation is called an X-cut. This choice fixes the direction of vibration and how the electric field couples to the crystal, which in turn determines the resonant mode and properties like temperature behavior.

For comparison, a Y-cut would have faces parallel to the XZ plane (thickness along Y), and a Z-cut would have faces parallel to the XY plane (thickness along Z). The ZY cut listed isn’t a standard principal cut, so it doesn’t match the described orientation.