Science

Quicksilver, Alchemy & Faraday's Motor – Part 1 with Andrew Szydlo

Royal Institution
Royal Institution•Apr 21, 2026

Why It Matters

Understanding mercury’s unique physical and chemical traits is essential for safe handling in industry and for leveraging its properties in specialized applications, from precision switches to educational demonstrations.

Key Takeaways

  • •Mercury’s extreme density lets tiny volumes outweigh fruit
  • •Liquid mercury conducts electricity, enabling tilt-switch applications in devices
  • •Mercury forms amalgams, dissolving gold and silver instantly
  • •Mercury vapor is toxic, historically causing occupational illnesses
  • •Freezing mercury with liquid nitrogen creates solid metal for demonstrations

Summary

The video opens with a vivid demonstration of mercury’s extraordinary density, showing that a few milliliters outweigh a basket of apples and oranges. Andrew Szydlo then walks the audience through mercury’s metallic nature, highlighting its excellent electrical conductivity and its use in tilt‑switches that power simple bells and lights. Key scientific insights follow: mercury’s ability to dissolve other metals creates gold and silver amalgams, illustrated by a gold leaf vanishing instantly and dendritic silver crystals dubbed “Diana’s tree.” The presenter also revisits the dark side of mercury, describing invisible, poisonous vapors that caused the infamous “Mad Hatter” syndrome among hat makers and other occupational hazards. Memorable moments include the gold‑leaf experiment, the silver‑nitrate crystal growth, and a dramatic freeze‑casting of mercury into a solid hammer using liquid nitrogen, which also reveals mercury’s unusual 4‑5% volume contraction upon solidification. The broader takeaway underscores the dual nature of mercury: a fascinating material for physics demos and historical alchemy, yet a hazardous substance demanding strict safety protocols in any modern laboratory or industrial setting.

Original Description

Andrew Szydlo's lecture on mercury was so extraordinary that we couldn't bear to cut a single moment — so instead of one video, you're getting two full hours of Andrew in full flow in Part 1 and Part 2. The second half of the lecture will be made available to the public on the 22nd April 2026. If you're a Science Supporter, it's already up on the channel.
This talk was filmed at the Ri on Saturday 21st March 2026.
Mercury has fascinated us for thousands of years — found even in Egyptian tombs from 1500 BC. Known as 'quicksilver', its unusual appearance as a beautiful, dense, shiny silver liquid led to the belief that it possessed magical properties, and it was used in both medicine and alchemy. Groundbreaking discoveries have been made using mercury: from the first ever vacuum in the 17th century, to the first electric motor built by Faraday right here at the Ri.
Andrew Szydlo brings mercury to life with a host of extraordinary experiments, illustrating its remarkable properties. Mercury's compounds produce spectacular and colourful chemical reactions, and it can even be frozen with liquid nitrogen and turned into a hammerhead — with dramatic results. These experiments, and other surprises throughout the lecture, will amaze and delight curious minds of all ages.
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Andrew Szydlo is a chemist and secondary school teacher at Highgate School, well-loved by pupils and Ri attendees alike. He has given public lectures around the country, appeared on TV shows, and has become a popular part of the Ri's YouTube channel — with his videos amassing over 16 million views in total.
When Andrew started giving chemistry lessons to friends some 50 years ago, he would bring a pocket-full of chemicals to illustrate the principles of chemistry. Today, those lessons have evolved into full demonstration lectures given to audiences in a wide variety of locations. Over the past 40 years he has given over 800 talks, in addition to teaching chemistry full-time at Highgate School in London. He is now an outreach teacher, still based at Highgate School, visiting around 50 schools in London every year. The Royal Society of Chemistry included Andrew as one of their 175 Faces of Chemistry.
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