Why is it that when both a man and woman sing the same exact note in the same octave, the man’s voice still sounds lower than the woman’s?

Question

Is it an auditory illusion (we only perceive it to sound lower), or something with the vocal chord structure?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Pitch is just the speed that your vocal chords vibrate:

Faster = higher

Men usually have larger throats than women. The size and shape of the throat gives it a specific sound, but it’s still vibrating at the same speed.