Drop of mercury dances to sound

Mercury is a metal that remains in liquid form under normal conditions, is extremely toxic and is commonly used in thermometers because of its large swelling range as a function of ambient temperature. These and other features of metal have been known and used by humans since the time of ancient Greece.

However, one of the least famous features of the element is its ability to vibrate in different ways when subjected to sound waves of varying frequencies. That's what photographer Nick Moore was able to capture in the video above.

To perform the experiment, Moore placed the mercury in a concave lens attached to a 12-inch speaker. He then used a signal generator to create sound waves, with frequencies ranging from 10 to 120 Hz, making the metal droplet take on shapes that resemble a small undulating puddle to a tiny sea anemone.

See slow-motion mercury transformations in the following video: