Sound Through Helium - Helium Changes Our Voice
When you inhale Helium, your voice alters to a higher pitch. You generate sound by rapidly vibrating two small flaps of mucous membrane, called vocal folds, in your voice box. The back-and-forth motions of these folds interrupt the flow of air from your lungs to create "puffs" of sound. Nitrogen and oxygen molecules that make up the bulk of air are much heavier than helium atoms, so they don't oscillate back and forth nearly as quickly. Wavelengths stay the same regardless of whether the tract is filled with helium gas or air. Frequencies of the resonant harmonics must increase in a helium-filled cavity instead. That means certain high-pitch components of your voice become amplified relative to the low-pitch components, drastically changing the overall timbre of your voice. Teacher background article: http://www.livescience.com/34163-helium-voice-squeaky.html
Phenomenon Scale or Size:
Investigative Phenomenon
Suggestions for Classroom Use:
1) Start the exploration of the phenomena with a class demonstration. Choose 3-5 students to come to the front of the room, have them inhale helium from a provided balloon, then sing a song. Have students think-pair-share what they think is happening to their vocal cords. Do a class share out. 2) Share the video where Chuck Gilmore explains how our vocal cords work. Students can go back to their partners and now see what changed with their understanding of what was happening to the student’s vocal cords. This would be a great time to include a writing piece using the CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) process. This process will help students understand the repeated pattern in sound waves and how waves can transmit energy. 3) Pass out the article where The Voice Foundation describes the anatomy and physiology behind vocal cords. Students annotate the article, discuss with their partners, then have a class discussion about the phenomena. 4) Use the 7 activities to help students develop a deeper understanding of sound waves. Have students complete the questions for each station. Use the University of Virginia physics department’s sound activity stations. These stations will help students build concrete understanding of how waves are transmitted through different mediums.
Resources
Chuck Gilmore (YouTube) explains how our vocal cords work.
The Voice Foundation describes the anatomy and physiology behind vocal cords.
University of Virginia Physics Department’s Sound Activity Stations
Resource Type(s):
Activity or Lab, Article or Text, Video or Media
DCI:
PS4.A Wave Properties, LS1.A Structure and Function
Grade:
6-8
Contributed By:
Cindi Schulze and Barb Knoll
PRIDE Academy and Pepper Drive, Santee School District
[email protected], [email protected]
@cindischulze
Phenomenon Scale or Size:
Investigative Phenomenon
Suggestions for Classroom Use:
1) Start the exploration of the phenomena with a class demonstration. Choose 3-5 students to come to the front of the room, have them inhale helium from a provided balloon, then sing a song. Have students think-pair-share what they think is happening to their vocal cords. Do a class share out. 2) Share the video where Chuck Gilmore explains how our vocal cords work. Students can go back to their partners and now see what changed with their understanding of what was happening to the student’s vocal cords. This would be a great time to include a writing piece using the CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) process. This process will help students understand the repeated pattern in sound waves and how waves can transmit energy. 3) Pass out the article where The Voice Foundation describes the anatomy and physiology behind vocal cords. Students annotate the article, discuss with their partners, then have a class discussion about the phenomena. 4) Use the 7 activities to help students develop a deeper understanding of sound waves. Have students complete the questions for each station. Use the University of Virginia physics department’s sound activity stations. These stations will help students build concrete understanding of how waves are transmitted through different mediums.
Resources
Chuck Gilmore (YouTube) explains how our vocal cords work.
The Voice Foundation describes the anatomy and physiology behind vocal cords.
University of Virginia Physics Department’s Sound Activity Stations
Resource Type(s):
Activity or Lab, Article or Text, Video or Media
DCI:
PS4.A Wave Properties, LS1.A Structure and Function
Grade:
6-8
Contributed By:
Cindi Schulze and Barb Knoll
PRIDE Academy and Pepper Drive, Santee School District
[email protected], [email protected]
@cindischulze