Accelerometers determine movement rates by a variety of methods. Many make use of piezoelectricity the voltage derived from crystalline structures and calculate acceleration based on the level of stress absorbed by such structures when they are subjected to motion.

The degree of voltage naturally shared between the crystals will vary when they are exposed to increasing levels of stress, and such alterations can be processed through circuitry to produce an accurate reading of acceleration speed. Other accelerometers work by measuring similar changes in the movements of hot air or magnetic fields.