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Why does helium make your voice go high?

Question

Why does helium make your voice go high?
Mark, Enfield

Answer

** Definitive **
Name: Ian, Reigate
Qualification: I got a D in chemistry
Answer: Helium is lighter than air as it is a lower density. When you talk, your voice box vibrates at a certain frequency with the air, so when your lungs are full of helium, it the substance going over the lungs is lighter and therefore quicker, so the pitch of your voice goes up.