The discussion revolves around the potential effects of electric shock on mercury, specifically whether it can induce reactions similar to those caused by temperature changes. Participants explore alternative methods to excite mercury and consider the implications of such reactions in different environments, including a vacuum.
Participants express differing views on the nature of exciting mercury and the feasibility of using it for the intended purposes. There is no consensus on whether electric shock can produce the desired effects or if mercury is the appropriate medium for such experiments.
Participants acknowledge the toxicity of mercury and the potential dangers associated with its use. There is also a mention of the historical context of alchemy, which may influence current interpretations of mercury's properties.
This discussion may be of interest to those exploring the properties of mercury, the effects of electrical stimulation on materials, and the development of electroactive fluids for practical applications.
LocktnLoaded said:I'm trying to find out if there is another way to excite mercury other than temperature
I see. Okay then, mercury isn't the way to go. I don't have the time to find it right now, but there are people doing pretty much what you're interested in. They've come up with an electrically active fluid that changes it's viscosity according to how much current is going through it. So far they have variable shock absorbers, but I think that they're trying to expand the research in order to make artificial muscles out of the stuff. Maybe try Googling for 'electroactive fluids' or various similar things.LocktnLoaded said:No, I'm not doing any experiments, just doing some pondering about over unity, what I'm looking for is a fluid that expands, by temperture or electrical means, that will go back to its smaller stable state , like a thermometer would retreat back to its bulb when it gets cooler.