inhaling weird molecules

[visceral_instinct]

I heard that if you inhale helium, your voice goes really high, if you inhale a heavier molecule like Xenon, it goes very low.

Why is this?

 

[James R]

The explanation most commonly given is that the speed of sound is greater in Helium than in air, and slower in Xenon. However, that doesn't actually explain the changes to the voice. The vocal cords vibrate at the same frequencies regardless of the speed of sound.

The true explanation, I think, has to do with resonances in the vocal tract, which occur at different frequencies depending on the speed of sound in the medium.

 

[cosmictraveler]

If you inhale to much helium you might contract heliumotosis, which is a lightweight problem that affects your abilty to fly.

 

[Enmos]

From Wiki:

"Helium alone is less dense than atmospheric air, so it will change the timbre (not pitch)of a person's voice when inhaled."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium

So the frequency doesn't change but it's just that it causes emphasis on the higher frequencies of your voice.

 

[Enmos]

If you inhale to much helium you might contract heliumotosis, which is a lightweight problem that affects your abilty to fly.

Or you can suffocate.

 

[John Connellan]

. The vocal cords vibrate at the same frequencies regardless of the speed of sound.

This is true, we send signals to our vocal chords for a particular frequency, however it is the timbre of our voice that chnges with different gas densities.

here is a good link:

http://phys.unsw.edu.au/phys_about/PHYSICS!/SPEECH_HELIUM/speech.html

Using different gases is like using a graphic equalizer on an amplifier. Different frequencies are emphasized

 

[cosmictraveler]

I inhaled argon once when I was Heli arc welding to see what would happen to me.

 

[John Connellan]

I inhaled argon once when I was Heli arc welding to see what would happen to me.

And?......

 

[cosmictraveler]

I turned into an ARGONAUT!

 

[John Connellan]

You were just waiting for someone to ask that question weren't you?!

 

[cosmictraveler]

You were just waiting for someone to ask that question weren't you?!

We ARGONAUTS always are clever.