Klarinet Archive - Posting 000201.txt from 1996/10

From: Donald Yungkurth <DYungkurth@-----.com>
Subj: Re: odd comment (acoustics)- CO2
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 19:37:08 -0400

Leonardo in Sweden wrote about his research into the CO2 level in exhaled air
normally and while playing an instrument. Jordan Selburn then asked:

<Does anybody know offhand how the varying CO2 content <affects pitch?

He also stated:

<If the speed of sound in CO2 is markedly different than in <whatever the
rest of what we exhale (mainly N2???), <than the pitch should change as we
play a long <note/phrase.

I've checked in an old edition of, "Handbook of Chemistry and Physics" and
find the following values:

Gas Velocity of Sound Temp

Air, dry 331.36 m/sec 0 C

Air ? 344 20

CO2 258.0 0

Oxygen 317.2 0

Water Vapor 401 0

No value was listed in this source for Nitrogen.

I'm not about to draw any conclusions from these data, but it is clear the
moisture has a major role as well.

Don Yungkurth (DYungkurth@-----.com)