If someone inhales helium and then speaks, why does the person sound like Donald Duck with his crazy high-frequency voice? What is the danger in doing this party stunt?
It's a matter of speed of sound. Sound travels faster in a low
density gas, such as helium. The speed of sound depends on the
square root of the ratio of Bulk Modulus to density, and density is
lower for helium,so speed is more than in normal air.
With sound moving faster in the resonance cavity between throat and
mouth, more of the higher frequency and shorter wavelength sounds
can form standing waves, and the listener hears more of the higher
frequencies. The main danger is that while you have been breathing
helium, you haven't been getting oxygen.
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