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Mercury Beating Heart: Modifications to the Classical Demonstration

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Sani Demiri

Private Yahya Kemal College, ul. Aleksandar, Makedonski, No 221000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

Metodija Najdoski , Valentin Mirceski and Vladimir M. Petruševski

Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Sts. Cyril and Methodius University, 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

Daniel Rosenberg

Science Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 12138

J. Chem. Educ., 2007, 84 (8), p 1292

DOI: 10.1021/ed084p1292

Publication Date (Web): August 1, 2007

Abstract

By analogy with the classical variant of the mercury beating heart (MBH), we propose several demonstrations of the MBH with various solutions of electrolytes, where the beating is generated by external power supply. Details for performing the experiments of MBH are given in this article. Video clips are offered in addition to classical demonstrations with an overhead projector or video camera. Mercury oscillations were observed without physical contact of mercury with the electrodes. When an aqueous solution of sodium sulfate or alkali hydroxide was used as electrolyte, an amalgam formed (even without direct contact between the electrode and mercury drop) and a mechanism is proposed for this phenomenon.