Episode 16 – Looking For Gold

First, you will need to download the Looking for Gold lab manual.

Ahoy! Ready to hunt for gold? Sadly, we are not looking for treasure and riches in this activity. But, we are exploring the golden ratio. What is the golden ratio anyway? Well, it is a specific number that repeats itself in nature. That number is 1.61803398874989484820458683436563811772030917… It is usually rounded to 1.6. This means the golden ratio is less than 2, making it a rather small number. Those dots at the end of the number signify that the number continues. It actually never stops, making it infinite. How is this even possible?

Do you think we can find the golden ratio by measuring our bodies? Our activity will find out!

Did you know the golden ratio is commonly used by artists and architects? The Mona Lisa and Eiffel Tower both were created to contain the golden ratio.

Saskatchewan Curriculum Connection: N5.3: Demonstrate, with and without concrete materials, an understanding of division (3-digit by 1-digit) and interpret remainders to solve problems.

N6.8: Demonstrate an understanding of ratio concretely, pictorially, and symbolically.