• Question: how does helium make your voice squeky

    Asked by ii_steve_ii to George on 12 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: George Dowson

      George Dowson answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      Hi Steve, helium is very low density gas, which is why it makes balloons float. This low density allows sound to travel through the gas faster than through air. This raises the pitch and makes your voice go higher. There are a couple of high density gases like SF6 (Sulfur hexafluoride) which are safe to inhale (with supervision only! Gases are not toys to play with) which actually lower your voice. There are several fun videos on YouTube of this happening!

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