Mercury Beating Heart

Sunday, April 20th, 2008

I don’t know if I’d call this “pulsating electrochemical reaction” a mercury beating heart, but it is interesting:

A drop of mercury in a watch glass is covered with a solution of potassium chromate in concentrated sulfuric acid. An iron nail is positioned so that it nearly touches the mercury. Eventually, the mercury drop starts to beat rhythmically, like a beating heart.

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