Abstract
An experimental and theoretical study is made on the translational oscillation of a mercury drop in a horizontally placed petri dish filled with HNO 3 solution, where solid state K 2 Cr 2 O 7 is dissolved from a certain fixed position. The latter diffuses gradually into the former solution, so that almost steady spatial distribution of K 2 Cr 2 O 7 with concentration c is achieved. When the mercury drop is exposed to the solution where both c and gradc are small, it is pulled toward a higher c region. On the other hand when it reaches a very high c region, it undergoes stronger chemical reaction accompanied by a cloud of precipitation and recedes toward lower c region. This process is repeated and the oscillatory motion is established. Hydrodynamical analysis taking account of the non-uniform distribution of surface tension associated with chemical reaction is given to explain this phenomenon.
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