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Re: Helium and the vocal cords



Try this site.

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/PHYSICS_!/SPEECH_HELIUM/speech.html

It gives a thorough treatment and includes some sound files.

Hope you find it helpful.

Bruce



Bruce McKay
St. Ignatius' College
Riverview,
Lane Cove NSW
Australia



Hi,

You've all see it, most of us have done it. You take a good gulp
of helium and talk like Mickey Mouse for a half minute or so.

Naively, I've just said - speed of sound in helium is greater. End
of story. But now that I think about it, the frequency of the vocal cords
doesn't change, the frequency of the disturbance shouldn't change,
therefore this must be a resonance effect in the trachea and mouth.
The air column then selects the higher harmonics from the vocal cords,
due the greatest speed of sound in the air cavity.

Does anybody have any pointers that might discuss this more?

Thanks,
Mark
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Lucas email: lucasm@ohiou.edu
252D Clippinger Lab phone: (740)597-2984
Department of Physics and Astronomy fax: (740)593-0433
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701


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