The Golden Ratio

GED0027 – MATHEMATICS
IN THE MODERN WORLD

One of the most famous and mysterious irrational numbers is the Golden Ratio, represented by
the Greek letter  (phi – pronounced “fie” or “fee”). The first definition of this ratio was given
by Euclid, the founder of geometry, in about 300 B.C.

A line segment is said to be cut in the Golden Ratio if the ratio of the whole line segment to the
larger part is equal to the ratio of the larger segment to the shorter. In other words, in the diagram
below,
ab a

a b
a b

If the shorter length, b, in the diagram above is 1 unit long, and we try to solve for how long the
longer segment is, we get the equation:
x 1 x

x 1
x 1

1 5
For now, all you need to know is that when you solve this equation, you get x  , which is
2
the number known as  , or the Golden Ratio.

 Use your calculator to find  to five decimal places:  = _______1.618340__________

What’s so special about this irrational number?

That’s what you will discover in this project!

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 Aesthetically Pleasing
It has been said that the Golden Ratio is the most aesthetically pleasing ratio: that is, we like how
it looks. In general, the human eye seems to like rectangles where the sides are in proportion to
the Golden Ratio. While this is difficult to prove scientifically, it does seem to be true that a
close approximation to the Golden Ratio can be found in some famous artwork and architecture.

While it’s difficult to know for sure whether some of these artists were using the Golden Ratio in
their work on purpose or by accident, it seems quite obvious that Salvador Dali was deliberate in
his use of the Golden Ratio in the painting Sacrament of the Last Supper (1955).

 The dimensions of this painting are approximately 105 ½ by 65 ¾ inches. What is the

ratio of these dimensions (to the nearest tenth)? 1.65238

 Also, the two disciples at Christ’s sides are placed at the two places that divide the width
of the painting into the Golden Ratio.
 Another reason to suspect that Dali was deliberately using the Golden Ratio is because of
his use of the dodecahedron in the background: a twelve-sided polyhedron with each face
a regular pentagon. As you will see later in this project, the pentagon is closely connected
to the Golden Ratio.

You will have a chance to research other works of art that use the Golden Ratio later in this
project.

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It has been claimed that the most beautiful human bodies and faces are also proportioned with
the Golden Ratio. Statues of human bodies that the ancient Greeks considered most “perfect”
embodied many Golden Ratios. It turns out that the “perfect” (to ancient Greeks) human face has
a whole flock of Golden Ratios as well.

In ancient Greece, the classical sculptors frequently used the navel (belly button) as the Golden
Ratio point of the human body. How do you compare to their standards of beauty?
(Get a partner to help you with your measurements.)
 Measure your height to the nearest cm: 159 cm_________
 Measure from the floor to your navel to the nearest cm: _95 cm_________
 What is the ratio of your height to the height of your navel? Round to the nearest
hundredth. 1.674

Studies suggest that Shania Twain may have one of the most beautifully-proportioned faces.
Head Width

Eye Nose Eye

Top of the Head

Hairline

Pupils

Nose Tip
Lips
Lips

Chin

Lips 3
Using your cm/mm ruler and the face picture on the previous page, find each measurement
below to the nearest tenth of a cm. You are measuring the distance or length between the two
locations mentioned. You can use the marking lines to place the ruler for your measurements.
Complete the table:

Facial Distance Measurement (cm)

a Top-of-head to chin 11.7 cm
b Top-of-head to pupil 5.6 cm
c Pupil to nose tip 2.2 cm
d Pupil to lip 3.8 cm
e Width of nose 2 cm
f Outside distance between eyes 2 cm
g Width of head 7.9 cm
h Hairline to pupil 3.8 cm
i Nose tip to chin 6.1 cm
j Lips to chin 2.3 cm
k Length of lips 4.8 cm
l Nose tip to lips 1.6 cm

Now use these letters to compute ratios with them with your calculator. Remember: the first ratio
a
means divide measurement a by measurement g ; round your answers to 3 decimal places.
g

Shania Twain’s facial ratios:

a
 __1.481_____  Now find the average of all the ratios to the
g nearest thousandth.
b 1.797 cm
 ___1.474___
d
i
 ___2.652____
j
i
 ____2.773___
c  How close do you think Shania’s face to the
e classical Greek standard of beauty? Explain.
 ____1.250___ Shania Twain’s facial dimensions between the
l
eyes, ears, nose and overall face length proves
f
 ___0.526___ how close her face to the classical Greek
h standard of beauty. As we calculated the ratios,
k
 _____2.400_ the results suggests her face has a pretty and
e perfect set of geometric measures.

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 The Golden Ratio in Geometry

The number 5 is especially connected to the Golden Ratio. Not only is 5 in its exact value
 1 5 
   , but  also shows up in the pentagon (5-sided figure).
 2 


 Measure the length of one side of the pentagon to the nearest tenth of a cm: _11
cm_________

 Draw a diagonal in the pentagon: a line from one vertex to any other non-adjacent
vertex. Now measure this line to the nearest tenth of a cm: ___11 cm_______

 What is the ratio of the length of the diagonal to the length of the side? 1

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If you draw all five diagonals of the pentagon, you get a five-pointed star:

C
A B

 Measure the following lengths to the nearest tenth of a cm:

AB: ___2 cm_______ CB: ____5 cm______
AC: ___7 cm_______ CD: _____3cm_____
 Experiment with finding the ratios of the lengths of different pairs of these line segments
(round to the nearest tenth). Name at least three pairs that give the Golden Ratio.
AB->AC= 1.71
CB-> CD= 1.67
AB->CB=2.4
AB->CD=4.
AC->CB= 1.4
AC->CD= 2.33

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Amazing Math Stuff
The Golden Ratio has some pretty neat mathematical characteristics that can’t be found in any
other number.

 Use your calculator to find  2 to at least seven decimal places. (Remember: this
means    , but you can also use the squared button on your calculator.) This works best
1 5
if you have as many decimal places as possible, so use your calculator to find
2
again.
  ___________1.6180340__________

 2  __________2.6180340__________
What do you notice when you compare  2 to  ?

The number that is not in the decimal place is increased by the exponent of 2

1
 Use your calculator to find to at least seven decimal places. Again, make sure you use

1 5
to start with – don’t round the value of  .
2

  ___1.6180340__________________
1
 ______0.6180340 _______________

1
What do you notice when you compare to  ?

The number decreases in half value.

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 The Golden Ratio in Nature

The Fibonacci Sequence

One of the most famous sequences is called the Fibonacci Sequence, which also has a surprising
connection to the Golden Ratio. The first eight terms of the Fibonacci Sequence are as follows:
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, …
 Describe the rule for generating the next number in the sequence.
The rule for the next number is adding it two times: for example is the sequence above:
1,1,3,5, 8, 21,55, 89 . The numerator is added twice at the end.

List the next six numbers in the Fibonacci Sequence: 8, 13, 21, 55, 89, 155, 221


The Fibonacci Sequence shows up in nature all over the place. It was originally designed by
Fibonacci in 1202 to model the growth of a rabbit population. Also, the number of petals on
many flowers is a Fibonacci number. For example, most field daisies have 13, 21, or 34 petals.

But what does this have to do with the Golden Ratio? Well, let’s investigate what happens when
we take the ratio of consecutive pairs of Fibonacci numbers.

 Complete the following table:

Ratio (to 3 decimal places) Ratio (to 3 decimal places)
2  2 21  1.61
1 13
3  1.5 55  2.619
2 21
5  1.66666 89  1.618
3 55

8  1.6 144  1.618

5 89

13  1.625 233 1.618

1.618
8 144

 What do you notice about the ratios of consecutive Fibonacci numbers?

The Fibonacci numbers has a simple pattern

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 The Golden Spirals
Spirals also appear often in nature. Perhaps the most obvious example is the chambered nautilus,
shown here:

The chambered nautilus grows in the shape of a special type of spiral called a logarithmic spiral.
A Golden Spiral is also a logarithmic spiral.

You can draw an approximation of a Golden Spiral by drawing squares with side lengths of
successive Fibonacci numbers in a spiral pattern, then drawing a spiral through the opposite
corners of each square.

For the next part of this project, you will create and decorate one of these spirals.

You will need:

- 8 ½  11” grid paper

- pencil and eraser
- ruler
- compass
- markers or pencil crayons

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To Draw a Fibonacci Spiral:

* You can refer to the diagram on page 9 as you follow the instructions to make sure your spiral
is turning out as it should.

1. Turn your paper so that it is landscape-oriented and the first three small squares are at the
bottom right.
2. Using a ruler, draw the next square on top of the previous squares. Its sides should be 3
units long.
3. Draw the next square to the left of the square you just drew and the two small squares.
How long is each side of this square? ____4.9____
4. Continue spiraling out with larger and larger squares in a counterclockwise direction until
the whole grid is filled. Use the diagram on p. 9 as a reference if you need to see where to
draw each square.
5. Now list the sequence of the side lengths of each square, starting with the two smallest
squares and spiraling outward to the largest square.

 What is the name of this sequence? Fibonacci sequence

 What would the side length of the next square be? 3

6. The largest rectangle in your spiral should be a Golden Rectangle: one where the ratio of
the length to the width is  . Check this by counting the number of grid squares along the
length and width:
length = ____13________
width = ____8________
length
Ratio = ____1.625__________ (to three decimal places)
width

7. Now draw a smooth spiral from the bottom left corner to the opposite corner of that
square and continue the spiral around the edges of the nested squares toward the centre.
(See p. 11 for guidance.) You may want to use a compass to get a nice smooth spiral.

8. Use pencil crayons or markers to decorate your spiral so that it is interesting to look at.
Make sure that your decoration highlights the spiral, not just the squares.

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 You’ve drawn a Fibonacci Spiral!
The Golden Ratio Project
Rubric

Level
Your
Excellent Proficient Adequate Limited Insufficient /
Mark
Criteria 4 3 2 1 Blank
Perform Performs Performs Performs Performs No
calculations precise, substantially partially incorrect calculations
with explicit and correct correct calculations. are
irrational correct calculations. calculations. performed.
numbers to calculations.
approximate

Solve Measure- Measure- Measure-ments Measure- No measure-
problems ments are ments are are careless ments are ments are
that involve precise and substantially and may not inaccurate performed.
linear include units. precise and include units. and do not
measure- mostly include units.
ment include units.
Explain Provides Provides Provides Provides No
reasoning insightful logical simplistic flawed explanations
about  explanations. explanations. explanations. explanations are provided.
Option 1: Spiral is Spiral is Spiral is Spiral is No spiral is
Draw a accurate and substantially careless and sloppy and drawn.
Golden Ratio visually accurate and visually not
Spiral compelling. visually uninteresting. decorated.
appealing.

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Option 2: Paragraph is Paragraph is Paragraph is Paragraph is No paragraph
Research and compelling convincing predictable vague and OR
write a and and logical. and simplistic. confusing. Paragraph is
paragraph on insightful. Evidence is Evidence is Evidence is plagiarized.
an example Evidence is presented. partially not
of the Golden critically Sources are presented. presented.
Ratio analyzed. cited. Sources may Sources are
Sources are not be cited. not cited.
cited.

Group No. ______

Name: Signature:
Sulapas, Seanna Eunice
Arizala, Edward Miguel
Delos Santos, Jemima
Francisco, James Arthur
Garcia, Gabrielle Andre
Ilarina, Laurice
No, Young Shil
Usi, Charizze Ashley

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