The golden ratio is a ‘famous’ number that is said to be recurring throughout the world. Architects are said to build with it, painters are said to use it, even sculpter are said to sculpt with it. The Greeks found this ‘Golden Section’ called phi around 500 BC. Phidias was a Greek sculptor and mathematician who is said to have studied phi. Today, there are many claims of where we can find the golden ratio. Whether or not these claims are accurate is the real question. There is a claim that the golden rectangle whose sides have a 1:1.618 ratio is the most esthetically pleasing. Having tested this theory in class, there is no proof of validity. In our class, out of approximately sixteen students, only one picked the golden rectangle. In the …show more content…
The average length of the sides at 755.79 ft and the average height is 481.4 ft. The ratio between the two are 1.62, which is less than a 1% deviance from the golden ratio.““Greek historian Herodotus, who supposedly wrote that the Pyramid's dimensions were chosen so the area of a square of length equal to the height equaled the area of a face triangle, thus implying that the ratio of slant height to half the base is exactly phi (Proof!). Yet, a literal translation of the original Greek shows that Herodotus did not make that claim (Markowski 7). Also, Herodotus wrote roughly two millennia after the Pyramid was built, so his insight into the minds of the original builders must be questioned. Also, the ancient Egyptians had no concept of irrational numbers, and so could not have centered the design around phi (Dudley).” Mathematically, the ratio between the height and the side creates a ratio close the the golden ratio. Knowing what the creators of the Great Pyramid was thinking when they built the pyramid is unknown and assuming they used the golden ratio would be a huge …show more content…
The dimensions of the Parthenon vary due to measuring from and to different point. So, someone looking for the Golden Ratio can choose whichever numbers yield them the closest results. Usually to have the ratio closest to the golden ratio, people use two out of the four steps in the rectangle. The reasoning behind only some steps being used is a logical question, which has no answer. The dimensions of the building 228 ft. long X 101 ft. wide, X 45 ft. high. The height can also be 59 ft. if the steps are included in the measurement. Either way the ratios come to 2.25 or 1.71 respectively. Both ratios are out or the 5% accepted range of 1.58 to 1.66. It seems that the golden ratio isn’t even found in the Parthenon. The Mona Lisa is said to have a golden ratio face, but there is no proof Da Vinci ever used the golden ratio consciously in his painting. Since we have no knowledge of Da Vinci using the Golden Rectangle, we can only infer which points we use to draw the
Notice the proportions of the Parthenon on the first image to the left, outlined in green, which show that the height of the columns is proportional to the height of the section between the roof and the columns, and that both are proportional to the height to the roof from the tip to the base. The second image on the left is a layout of the floorplan of the Parthenon and it is evident, in red, that the exterior dimensions of the structure form a Golden Ratio. There are also various other uses of the Golden Section in the floorplan, such as the location of the alter in the smaller green Golden Rectangle or the proportions of the 2 large rooms shown in blue. Perhaps the extensive use of the Golden Section in the Parthenon is due to the sacredness associated with the Golden Section in Greek history and the fact that the Parthenon was built in honour of a
When looking at Mayan and Egyptian pyramids side by side, one would immediately notice the difference in heights between the two. The Great Pyramid of Giza stands at an astounding 480ft, with the Mayan pyramids standing only 401ft less, or simply 79ft (Source 4). With such a baffling number, it's no wonder the pyramid of Giza has been titled as "Great". But this doesn't mean the Mayan pyramids aren't impressive, with the ornate details with stairs and a entrance placed at the top. The questions stands as to why such a height was determined for the pyramid, especially when it's six times the height of the Mayans'?The answer can easily be answered with the purpose of the pyramids.
The Step Pyramid was designed by Imhotep, the Chancellor of King Zoser, and was originally planned as a stone mastaba 7.0 meters high based on a square ground-plan (Aldred 45-46). However, this design underwent six alterations, and in its final form the Step Pyramid rose in six unequal steps to a height of 62.
Of the three theories on how the Great Pyramid was built, in descending order of acceptability, the most suitable theory is Clifford Wilson’s followed by Joseph Davidovits’ and Erich Von Däniken’s argument. Clifford Wilson’s theory is the best because he illustrates how the pyramids were built and provides the evidence to prove his theory, however; this is unlike Joseph Davidovits’ theory because Davidovits does not fully answer questions that arise concerning his theory. The three theories have similar points, but contain very different ideas on the construction of the Great Pyramid. This is obvious in Clifford Wilson’s argument where he is repeatedly disproving Von Däniken’s theory that the “gods” created the pyramids, whereas in Davidovits theory the pyramids were simply casted by means of chemically mixing Natron, aluminum and silicon to produce artificial rock. These three individuals express different ideas on the building of the building of the Great Pyramid.
Built in the fifth century BCE, the construction of the Parthenon was one of Greece’s most mathematically accurate structures. The Parthenon was built in the Doric order, with seventeen columns at the flanks and eight columns on the sides which formed a cella and a ratio of nine to four. “This ratio governed the ...
The Parthenon was built during the Golden age in Athens, Greece. The Parthenon is made of mainly columns; there is a 9:4 ratio. It was almost destroyed in war; the ruins that remained were dedicated to Athena. The purpose of the Parthenon was to house the statue of Athena, made of ivory and gold, and also Athena’s treasure. The ratios and the equations used to make the Parthenon were used as a sign of the harmony in the natural world around us. The mathematical harmony in the world shows how we can work with the world rather than destroy to make it what we want. The Parthenon also has no straight lines. The columns of the Parthenon are angled going up getting smaller the higher they get. This was done so that you could get the best lighting
Many scholars believe that the reason why the pyramids were built in a triangular form is because it has a religious meaning to the Egyptians. The slanting side might have reminded the Egyptians of the slanting rays of the sun, that the pharaoh's soul could climb to the sky and join the gods. In the pyramids they buried the pharaoh's body.
The Golden Section was used extensively by Leonardo Da Vinci. Note how all the key dimensions of the room and the table in Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" were based on the Golden Section, which was known in the Renaissance period as The Divine Proportion.
They even built the pyramids using the sacred ratio. After the Egyptians, the Greeks adopted this method, but instead called it the Golden section. They too used this method in architecture in many buildings including the Pantheon. In about 500 B.C., the Greek Philosopher Pythagoras began his studies of proportions he soon developed a theory, through musical harmony and repetitive patterns in nature, that beauty was associated with the small ratio of integers. Around the same time Phidias had been studying phi for a while and began applying it to his sculptures and paintings.
Joseph Davidovits, a French chemist, has proposed that the pyramids were formed using a special concrete mixture, and then poured into wooden moulds where it hardened (Alt. theory #3).While Davidovits claims to have explained aspects of pyramid construction which the heave-ho theory could not, the mould theory has many faults, rendering it weak and improbable. Firstly, the stones used in building the pyramids were of diverse shapes (Article 5). The shape of the stones would be uniform if they were created in moulds of exact dimensions. If each stone was created in a uniquely fashioned mould, it would account for the diversity in shape. However, building thousands, or even hundreds, of moulds would have been e...
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built between 2550 and 2500 BC with a perimeter of 1760 cubits and 280 cubits in height (Shell, 2013). This gives the ratio of 22/7, which is commonly used in estimating pi. Egyptologists believe that these proportions were chosen because of pi, but many other experts believe that it was completely accidental.
A rectangle is a very common shape. There are rectangles everywhere, and some of the dimensions of these rectangles are more impressive to look at then others. The reason for this, is that the rectangles that are pleasing to look at, are in the golden ratio. The Golden Ratio is one of the most mysterious and magnificent numbers/ratios in all of math. The Golden Ratio appears almost everywhere you look, yet not everyone has ever heard about it. The Golden Ratio is a special number that is equal to 1.618. An American mathematician named Mark Barr, presented the ratio using the Greek symbol “Φ”. It has been discovered in many places, such as art, architectures, humans, and plants. The Golden Ratio, also known as Phi, was used by ancient mathematicians in Egypt, about 3 thousand years ago. It is extraordinary that one simple ratio has affected and designed most of the world. In math, the golden ratio is when two quantities ratio is same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities. The Golden Ratio is also know as the Golden Rectangle. In a Golden Rectangle, you can take out a square and then a smaller version of the same rectangle will remain. You can continue doing this, and a spiral will eventually appear. The Golden Rectangle is a very important and unique shape in math. Ancient artists, mathematicians, and architects thought that this ratio was the most pleasing ratio to look at. In the designing of buildings, sculptures or paintings, artists would make sure they used this ratio. There are so many components and interesting things about the Golden Ratio, and in the following essay it will cover the occurrences of the ratio in the world, the relationships, applications, and the construction of the ratio. (add ...
The construction of the Great Pyramid is still a mystery and marvel to this day, there are seven major feats that archeologists still don’t understand.
Of all the pyramids of Egypt, the first three are held in the highest regards. This is known as the Great Pyramid. It was built for the Pharaoh Khufu. The Great Pyramid is about 450 feet tall and covers about 13 acres. The subject of this pyramid was to honor the pharaoh and show him some respect. It took about 100,000 workers and 20 years to build the pyramid.
The Golden Ratio also appears in the Parthenon in Athens. It was built about 440 B.C.; it forms a perfect Golden Rectangle. The exterior dimensions form Golden Rectangle. The Golden Ratio also appears in the front face, which is found to be Phi times as wide as it is tall, so therefore it is a Golden Rectangle. The height of the roof is Phi times the space between the tops of the columns and the bottom of the roof.