Talk:Mercury beating heart

Thermodynamics
Remembering that perpetual motion machines are not possible, what causes this system to eventually fail and come to a stop? 70.247.162.147 (talk) 07:11, 31 January 2010 (UTC)
 * Nothing to do with perpetual motion, the dichromate is reacting with the iron nail. to produce reduced chromium ions and iron oxide.  when all teh chromate is reduced, the reaction ends.  there is potential chemical energy stored in the system of dichromate + reduced iron.  that energy is released in the reaction.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wikiskimmer (talk • contribs) 14:28, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

Discovery
The article by Friedrich Ferdinand Runge from 1829 looks like the same phenomenon. An the Stenschke paper credits Edmund Oscar von Lippmann with the discovery a century before 1974.--Stone (talk) 05:34, 23 May 2008 (UTC)


 * The article should give the answer!--Stone (talk) 07:13, 23 May 2008 (UTC)


 * I got it wrong it was Gabriel Lippmann not Edmund Oscar von Lippmann published as --Stone (talk) 07:15, 23 May 2008 (UTC)

confusion between mercury oxide and mercury sulfate
The article states in one sentence that the mercury is oxidized to mercury oxide and in another sentence it states that the mercury sulfate oxidizes the iron. i realize there are a variety of experimental setups, can anyone introduce clarity?Wikiskimmer (talk) 14:30, 13 February 2013 (UTC)