Inhaling of which gas temporarily changes the timbre of the human voice?
Helium s a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas, the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. Its boiling and melting point are the lowest among all the elements. Helium is the second lightest and second most abundant element in the observable universe (hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant)
As with any gas whose density differs from that of air, inhaling a small volume of helium temporarily changes the timbre and quality of the human voice.
More Info:
en.wikipedia.org
What are your thoughts on this subject?
12 Comments
Irish Kiwi
So does hydrogen but avoid naked flames.
Julia Brandenburg
We didn't need the balloon photo clue.
klmilles
I had no idea that people filled balloons with Methane!
William Laughlin
Wayne Roberts,
WOW! That's pretty deep.
Wayne Roberts
William Laughlin,
Thank you for the more in depth explanation. I used to be a mixed gas rebreather diver and used a 10/50 mix as a diluent, personal diving range was down to 90m.
William Laughlin
Wayne Roberts,
For normal, no decompression dives, helium is not used in scuba tanks, just normal air (21% Oxygen and 79% Nitrogen). ... Beyond 190 and 220 feet oxygen will become toxic, resulting in sensory distortions and seizures. Helium is used to dilute the oxygen and nitrogen to reduce these affects.
Paul Greenslade
Chlorine gas has a pretty profound effect if you inhale it, too.
Peter Gilchrist
Chlorine gas kills, it turns into hydrochloric acid in the lungs.
Wayne Roberts
Helium is also used in deep diving. Being a lighter gas it is easier to breathe!
Marianne Frederick Halterman
So does nitrous oxide!
Jerry Kimball
Let's see, we inhale oxygen constantly as part of our normal breathing, so that's out and inhaling methane or chlorine for very long will stop breathing (and speaking) completely, so that's out...by process of elimination helium wins!
Mic Fenst
Any gas with a different atomic weight than air will modify the timbre. One wouldn't want to inhale methane or chlorine gas to do the experiment, though.