Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: neilep on 19/09/2007 23:24:12

Title: Is There An Opposite To High Pitch Voice Helium ?
Post by: neilep on 19/09/2007 23:24:12
Dear Helium Hilarity Huggers,

As ewe well know, if ewe take a dose of helium it makes your voice all high pitch !

Is there an anti-helium that makes your voice real low !!


well ?..is there ?...if there is what is it ?..and how does it do it ?
Title: Is There An Opposite To High Pitch Voice Helium ?
Post by: Karen W. on 20/09/2007 00:09:31
How about a good dose of hypothyroidism! (seriously)
Title: Is There An Opposite To High Pitch Voice Helium ?
Post by: another_someone on 20/09/2007 00:40:02
The high frequency sound generated in helium is because the speed of sound is about 3 times as fast in helium as it is in air.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound
Quote
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fmath%2Ff%2F0%2Fa%2Ff0aa0a8f1de4bb4cd5c26170954f39b3.png&hash=68b06bc0df75cff00438c5c0a7f0eedc)
where
  • cideal is the speed of sound in an ideal gas.
  • R (approximately 8.3145 J·mol-1·K-1) is the molar gas constant.
  • k is the Boltzmann constant

γ (gamma) is the adiabatic index (sometimes assumed 7/5 = 1.400 for diatomic molecules from kinetic theory, assuming from quantum theory a temperature range at which thermal energy is fully partitioned into rotation (rotations are fully excited), but none into vibrational modes. Gamma is actually experimentally measured over a range from 1.3991 to 1.403 at 0 degrees Celsius, for air. Gamma is assumed from kinetic theory to be exactly 5/3 = 1.6667 for monoatomic molecules such as noble gases).
  • T is the absolute temperature in kelvins.
  • M is the molar mass in kilograms per mole. The mean molar mass for dry air is about .0289645 kg/mole.
  • m is the mass of a single molecule in kilograms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adiabatic_index
Quote
Thus we observe that for a monatomic gas, with three degrees of freedom:

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fmath%2Fa%2F6%2F9%2Fa6965b5bf23c948de4237fd19b44d91b.png&hash=b4f7ce110dbc807dc66539034fb6b806)

while for a diatomic gas, with five degrees of freedom (at room temperature):

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fmath%2F1%2F8%2F6%2F18689553f959854e8fdd5108eb94d6d8.png&hash=03c668849f414c449781ccc1c020e396)

Thus to reduce the speed of sound further, you probably require a gas with a large number of atoms, and a high atomic weight.

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2n9fe/sound/sound.htm
Quote
[tqble]
GasDensity (kg/m3)Speed (feet/sec)Standard Deviation (feet/sec)
Air1.29291039.722.4
Argon1.7837957.820.3
Carbon Dioxide1.977812.423.0
Propane2.009771.521.3

So there would be some slight drop in frequency when breathing propane.

According to http://www.mysolv.com/AGA10CalcOut.asp, butane would have a speed of around 208m/s, compared to the 235m/s quoted for propane above, and compared to around 331m/s for air (the table above seems slightly lower).

I would guess that most molecules that are heavy enough to have a speed of sound 1/3rd the speed of air when a gas, would probably be too heavy to be gaseous at STP.
Title: Is There An Opposite To High Pitch Voice Helium ?
Post by: another_someone on 20/09/2007 00:41:12
Quote from: Karen W. on 20/09/2007 00:09:31
How about a good dose of hypothyroidism! (seriously)

Probably taking steroids would have the same effect.
Title: Is There An Opposite To High Pitch Voice Helium ?
Post by: eric l on 20/09/2007 07:30:01
Quote from: another_someone on 20/09/2007 00:40:02
Thus to reduce the speed of sound further, you probably require a gas with a large number of atoms, and a high atomic weight.
...

I would guess that most molecules that are heavy enough to have a speed of sound 1/3rd the speed of air when a gas, would probably be too heavy to be gaseous at STP.
Would that mean that having too much alcohol (C2H5OH, MW 46) in your breath would lower the pitch of your voice ? 
Title: Is There An Opposite To High Pitch Voice Helium ?
Post by: Karen W. on 20/09/2007 09:47:20
Quote from: another_someone on 20/09/2007 00:41:12
Quote from: Karen W. on 20/09/2007 00:09:31
How about a good dose of hypothyroidism! (seriously)



Probably taking steroids would have the same effect.

You know George I believe that also is correct . They put my mom on some pretty high doses of steroids when she was diagnosed with cancer and it seriously effected the pitch of her voice. Was definitely lower then normal for her, quite a bit lower!
Title: Is There An Opposite To High Pitch Voice Helium ?
Post by: lightarrow on 20/09/2007 12:22:09
Quote from: another_someone on 20/09/2007 00:40:02
So there would be some slight drop in frequency when breathing propane.
Not advisable to smokers, however... [:)]
Title: Is There An Opposite To High Pitch Voice Helium ?
Post by: another_someone on 20/09/2007 17:09:21
Quote from: eric l on 20/09/2007 07:30:01
Would that mean that having too much alcohol (C2H5OH, MW 46) in your breath would lower the pitch of your voice ? 

It would sound probable, but breathing an atmosphere that is 80% alcohol, 20% oxygen, could be just a little toxic.
Title: Is There An Opposite To High Pitch Voice Helium ?
Post by: eric l on 20/09/2007 17:20:30
With how much alcohol in your breath would you be legaly "intoxicated" ?  (As far as I know, the laws specify alcohol in the blood, not in the breath).
Title: Is There An Opposite To High Pitch Voice Helium ?
Post by: PhysicsMike on 03/10/2007 22:22:50
Sulfur Hexaflouride (SF6) is an "anti-helium."

Youtube has proof:

Title: Is There An Opposite To High Pitch Voice Helium ?
Post by: daveshorts on 03/10/2007 22:38:31
Or if you are feeling richer xenon works too