Golden Ratio Essay

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Golden Ratio is a term used to describe aesthetically pleasing proportioning within a piece. However, contrary to belief, it is not merely a term but an actual ratio. The golden proportion is the ratio of the shorter length to the longer length which equals the ratio of the longer length to the sum of both lengths. In art and architecture, it is presumed that if one maintained the ratio of small elements to larger elements that was the same as the ratio of larger elements to the whole, the end result will generally be more visually pleasing. Shown below is a simplified version of the theory. Small elements : Large elements = Large elements : Whole The Golden Ratio is equal to: 1.6180339887499484820... The digits recur with no particular pattern. In fact, the Golden Ratio is known to be an irrational number. The Golden Ratio is also known as the Golden Rectangle. The Golden Rectangle has the property that when a square is removed a smaller rectangle of the same shape remains, a smaller square can be removed and so on, resulting in a spiral pattern.

Throughout the centuries, artists have used the golden ratio in their own creations. One example is the Parthenon in Athens. It was built about 440 B.C. The exterior dimensions form the Golden Rectangle. The Golden Ratio also appears in the front face, which is found to be Phi times as wide as it is tall, therefore fitting the proportions of the Golden Rectangle. The height of the roof is Phi times the space between the tops of the columns and the bottom of the roof. Another example of the Golden Ratio occurs in Egyption Pyramids. Ancient Egyptions used the Golden Ratio to build their pyramids. The pyramids show one of the first examples of using the golden ratio in architecture. The pyramids have a square base, where the length of each side was about 230 meters. The height of the pyramids is about 146 meters. One pyramid

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