The Golden Ratio

What is the Golden Ratio?

1. Which one of the following rectangles do you like best? Which is the
visually the most appealing shape to you?

D F
A B C
E

Your choice: _________ You will be referred back to this question later in
the worksheet.

2. The diagram below shows a series of squares. The two smallest

squares S1 and S2 have lengths of 1 unit. Complete the columns of
the table below.

S7

S8

S3 S4
S2 S1 \4
S6
S5

Square Length of
Ln / Ln–1
Sn Square Ln
S1 1 NA

S2 1 L2/L1 = 1/1 = 1
S3 2 L3/L2= 2/1 = 2
S4 3 L4/L3 = 3/2 = 1.5
S5 5
S6
S7

1
 S8

3. What do you notice about the numbers in the middle column of the
above table?

This series of numbers is called the Fibonacci Sequence. It is a

famous sequence that featured in the thriller The Da Vinci Code. The
number in the last column of the table are the ratio of one Fibonacci
number to the one before. (remember that ratios can be expressed
at fractions)

4. Now draw this graph and plot the numbers in the last column on this
graph, for each square, and join them to make a line graph. The first 3
are done for you.

What do you notice?

5. Now look at the whole shape of the rectangle question 2. Which of the
rectangles in question one is it most similar in shape to?
______________ Is that the rectangle you chose? _____

6. By finding L8/L7 you actually calculated the ratio of the length to the
width of the rectangle that contains all the S1 to S7 squares. Do it
again by actually measuring the length and width of that rectangle.
Length = _____________ Width = ___________ Length/Width =
______________

2
7. Rectangle C is called the Perfect Rectangle because it is supposed to
be the most pleasing to the eye for most people. Measure the length
and the width of Rectangle C and calculate the ratio of its length to
its width.
Length = _____________ Width = ___________ Length/Width =
______________

8. The ratio Ln / Ln–1 in the last column of the above table converges to the
value 1.61803 39887 49894 84820 45868 34365… This value is
called the Golden Ratio Φ (pronounced as ‘phi’). Is this value
about the same as your answer in Q8? What does this mean about
the proportions of the Perfect Rectangle?

(1 + 5 )
9. Use a calculator to evaluate and write down its value. What do
2
you notice?

This is one way that phi can be expressed as an exact number, as it

is not a rational number.

10. Phi, Φ , is also defined as the number whose square is equal

to itself plus one.

Use a calculator to evaluate Φ 2 and write down its value, correct to

5 decimal places. Now subtract 1 from your answer. Write what you
have found as an equation.

11. Now use a calculator to evaluate 1/Φ and write down its value, correct
to 5 decimal places. What do you notice? How is 1/Φ related to Φ ?
Write down what you have found as an equation.

_____________________________________________________________________

12. We will now look at the golden ratio in a very simple way. Draw a
line 10 cm long below.

You are going to divide the line, so that the ratio of the large part to
the small part is equal to the ratio of the whole to the large part.

3
 Keep trying ways to divide the 10 cm until you find that the ratios
are equal to 2 decimal places.

Length of Length of Length of Whole: Large:

Whole Large Part small part Large Small
10 7 3 10/7 = 7/3 = 1.333
1.428
10 6 4 10/6 = 6/4= 1.5
1.667
10 6.5 3.5 10/6.5= 6.5/3.5=
10 6.3
10
10
10
10

What did you find? Would this work if the line was 15 cm? Try it
in your book. Explain the golden ratio in terms of this activity.

Perfect Rectangles and Golden Ratio in Real Life

13. Many buildings and structures are shaped like the Perfect Rectangle
or linked to the Golden Ratio. For example, the diagrams below
show a photo of the Parthenon at Athens. Measure the length and
width of the rectangle in the first diagram below (must take into
account the height of the original roof) and calculate the ratio of its
length to its width. What type of rectangle do you get?
[2]

14. Another example is the Great Pyramid built by the

Egyptians in Giza (see below). Calculate the ratio of
the “distance up the middle of one side” to the
“distance from the edge to the centre”. What do you
get? [2]

4
 Distance up middle of
one side = 186.4 m

Distance from edge

to centre = 115.2 m

15. Nature also has some interesting shapes. A nautilus is a creature that
lives in the sea and it grows to about 25 cm (see photos below). As its
shell develops, it creates one of the most fascinating shapes in
mathematics. To see how the shell looks like, an arc of a quadrant is
drawn with its centre at the bottom left hand corner of S8 (see diagram
below). Get a template for this from your teacher.

S7

S8

S3 S4
S2 S1 \4
S6
S5

5
(a) Draw a similar arc for S7 but with the centre at the bottom
right hand corner of S7.
(b) Draw a similar arc for S6 but with the centre at the top right
hand corner of S6.
(c) Draw a similar arc for S5 such that the arcs form a curve that
spirals inwards.
(d) Continue the process until you reach S1.

6
Answers

1. There is no correct answer, but research has shown that

most people choose rectangle C as being the most visually
appealing recatangle

Q2.

Square Length of
Ln / Ln–1 (to 8 s.f.)
Sn Square Ln
S1 1 –
S2 1 1/1=1
S3 2 2/1=2
S4 3 3 / 2 = 1.5
S5 5 5 / 3 = 1.6666667
S6 8 8 / 5 = 1.6
S7 13 13 / 8 = 1.625
21 / 13 =
S8 21
1.6153846

3. Fibonacci numbers or sequence . This is the sequence where

each number in the sequence is the sum of the two numbers that come
before it.

1, 1, now 1+1= 2, 2+1 = 3, 3+2 = 5, 5+3= 8, 8+5 = 13 etc

4.

7
The graph shows that the numbers go above and below the line, getting
closer and closer to the line. The line is the value 1.61.

5. The rectangle is most like rectangle C. Most people choose this

rectangle.
6. L8/L7 = 1.61……..

7. The ratio of length to width of rectangle C is also 1.61…………….

8. The ratio of length of the Perfect Rectangle to its width is the Golden
Ratio, 1.61…..

1+ 5
9. is the exact value of the Golden Ratio.
2

10. Φ 2 = 2.61803 (to 5 decimal places) = Φ + 1 [1]

2
1 + 5 
[For your info: Φ2 =   = 6 + 2 5 = 3 + 5 = Φ +1 ]
 2  4 2
 

11. 1/Φ = 0.61803 (to 5 decimal places) = Φ – 1 [1]

[For your info:

1
=
2
=
2
×
1− 5 21− 5
= =
( ) 5 −1
= Φ −1 ]
Φ 1+ 5 1+ 5 1− 5 1−5 2

12. The only way you can divide any line so that the ratio of the whole to
the large is the same as the ratio of the large to the small, is by using the
golden ratio.

13. 5.6 / 3.5 = 1.6 ≈ Φ

Perfect Rectangle

14. 186.4 / 115.2 = 1.6180  ≈

5 ΦS7
Golden Ratio
S8
15. See diagram below. OHT template is on page 9.

S3 S4
S2 S1 \4
S6
S5

8
9
 Shell of Nautilus

S7

S8

S3 S
4
S2 S
1
S6
S5

10