The Golden Ratio

The Golden Ratio is a special number close to 1.618. People have found it in many beautiful things, from seashells to famous paintings. It is shown by the Greek letter phi. Mathematicians and artists have been fascinated by this number for thousands of years.

What Makes It Special

The Golden Ratio shows up when you divide a line into two parts in a special way. The ratio of the whole line to the longer part equals the ratio of the longer part to the shorter part. This exact number is about 1.618. It creates shapes that many people think look very pleasing.

A portrait of an old math teacher who wrote about the Golden Ratio.
A portrait of an old math teacher who wrote about the Golden Ratio. (original uploader / Wikimedia Commons)

Where We See It

You can find the Golden Ratio in nature, like in the spirals of a nautilus shell or the arms of a galaxy. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci used it in their paintings. Architects have used it to design buildings like the Parthenon in Greece. It even shows up in flower petals and pinecones.

Fun Facts

  • The Golden Ratio is also called the divine proportion.
  • Its exact value is a decimal that goes on forever without a pattern.
  • A Golden Rectangle can be cut into a square and a smaller Golden Rectangle.

Did You Know?

The Golden Ratio is closely connected to the Fibonacci numbers. The more Fibonacci numbers you have, the closer their ratio gets to 1.618.