Why is it when you breathe helium through your mouth your voice sounds very high?

Answer 1

When you breathe helium the small density of the helium compared to air effects the timbre of your voice[1][2]. Timbre is the quality of sound and what allows you to differentiate sounds from each other, such as the same note played on different instruments[1][2].

Since helium is less dense then air, the volume of speed through helium is greater than that of air[2]. When you increase the speed but keep the wavelength the same (the configuration of your mouth) the frequency must increase[2]. This can be seen in the equation:
speed = frequency * wavelength

If speed goes up and wavelength is the same, we see that frequency must go up by the same factor.

Therefore, when using helium, the frequency of your voice increases by the same factor that the speed of sound increases in helium.

Answer 2

The pitch of your voice is largely determined by the dimensions of your larynx. That's why men, with their larger larynxes, generally have lower voices than women. While the sound of your voice originates in the vibrations of your vocal cords, string-shaped objects aren't very good at emitting sound. Just as a violin employs a box to assist its strings in producing sound, you use your larynx to assist your vocal cords in producing sound. Which pitches your larynx produces well depends on its size and on the speed of sound. Both of these factors are important because the air itself vibrates and either decreasing the size of your larynx or allowing sound to move faster from one side of it to the other will raise the pitch of your voice. Because the speed of sound is much higher in helium (965 m/s) than it is in air (331 m/s), the pitch of your voice rises when you breathe in helium gas. However, as soon as the helium has left your lungs and is replaced by air, your voice returns to normal.

Answer 3

the oxygen level in your body drops and the gas is lighter as you speak. If you took in some nitroious and helium at the same time you can level this out and almost freeze your brain to a numbness and go to the edge of death you can not think or move but your eyes see everything kinda creepy

Answer 4

The reason that helium has that effect is that it temporarily causes your vocal cords to contract, emitting a higher pitch that it still your voice only higher. It is not inherently harmful, but if you do it enough, you will develop a very sore throat.

Answer 5

The gas is very light and will vibrate the vocal cords differently from a heavier gas.

Answer 6

a person's vioce becomes higher when vocal cords get shorter so im guessing helium makes them shorter than normal for a few seconds.

Answer 7

hahaa i really dont know

Answer 8

hi..............yo