2006-09-15 08:23:36 · 10 answers · asked by UseAnotherNickname 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
If you imagine your throat as a bit like an organ pipe, when the organist plays a note, one cycle of a wave, with a wavelength approximately the length of the tube, is generated inside the pipe. So when you talk you produce sound waves with wavelengths determined by the length of your throat.
The speed of a wave (c) is given by multiplying the wavelength and the frequency together (c=l.f) and this can be re-arranged to find the frequency of the sound wave (in other words how high it sounds) (f), thus : "frequency = speed divided by wavelength" or f=c/l.
But helium is less dense than the other consitutents of air and so sound travels much more quickly in helium (900 metres per second) than in air (350 metres per second). Substitute these numbers into the forumla we got above (f=c/l) and you get a value for f (helium) 2.5 times greater than f (air). As a result you voice sounds 2.5 times higher when you breathe helium.
Conversely, if you were to breathe a denser gas than air you could make your voice sound much lower.
Divers breathing a helium-rich mix (to overcome the problem of increased gas density at extreme depths) talk to their support crew using a "helium voice unscrambler" which reinforces the lower notes in their voices whilst suppressing the higher tones so that they can be understood.
2006-09-15 08:35:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 16⤊ 0⤋
Helium Voice Change
2016-12-29 11:53:01 · answer #2 · answered by deweese 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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RE:
Why does helium make your voice change?
2015-08-23 20:40:26 · answer #3 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Helium (mass =4 amu) is much lighter than air (Nitrogen molecule (N2) is mass 28 amu, oxygen molecule (02) is mass 32 amu). As the gas in your lungs is forced out, it rushes past the vocal chords and it makes them vibrate. The lighter helium atoms just don't have the momentum that the heavier nitrogen/oxygen molecules do, so helium can't excite the lower frequency vibrations that air can.
2006-09-15 12:28:32 · answer #4 · answered by WildOtter 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's because sound travels faster in helium. Wave length times frequency is the speed of the wave. Since the wave length is the same in helium as in air, but the speed goes up, the frequency goes up. Ears hear frequency.
2013-12-27 21:13:50 · answer #5 · answered by Morgan W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Helium have different molecules than oxygen. It carries sound much faster , therefore when you inhale helium your basically changing oxygen molecules and using the molecules (which carries sound and waves faster AND much lighter) of helium.
2015-07-10 18:01:05 · answer #6 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Helium makes your vocal cords contract making the pitch of your voice higher.
2006-09-15 08:29:07 · answer #7 · answered by jayreaper uk 1 · 2⤊ 2⤋
it has to do with the amount of time wave lengths take to travel in air and helium but if you do you too much you could get seriously hurt or die
2006-09-15 08:27:19 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Temporarily yes. It also makes you high.
I know, because that one of the weird things I did when I was a Soldier.
2006-09-15 08:49:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Helium makes your voice change because of the components
2006-09-15 08:26:16 · answer #10 · answered by frankmilano610 6 · 1⤊ 6⤋