ヘリウムで声が変わる理由は？声の高さは同じです

Why Does Helium Change Your Voice?

Have you ever breathed in helium from a party balloon?

Your voice suddenly sounds high and funny, like a cartoon character.

Many people think that helium makes their voice higher.

But that is not exactly true.

Your voice starts in your vocal cords.

They are two small folds in your throat, and they shake very fast when you speak.

How fast they shake decides the pitch of your voice.

Helium does not change how fast they shake.

So the pitch of your voice stays the same.

Then why does your voice sound so different?

The answer is in the space inside your throat and mouth.

This space works like a tube.

It makes some sounds stronger than others.

Helium is much lighter than air.

Sound travels about three times faster in helium than in air.

Because of this, the space in your throat makes the high sounds stronger and the low sounds weaker.

That is why your voice sounds thin and squeaky.

Scientists say that helium changes the timbre of your voice, not the pitch.

Timbre is the quality of a sound.

There is also a very heavy gas called sulfur hexafluoride.

It does the opposite, so your voice sounds deep.

But you need to be careful.

Both gases can stop oxygen from getting to your brain.

Breathing in a lot of them is dangerous.

Helium voices are fun, but your health is much more important.