How to understand the Golden Ratio

Here's a simple explanation of the Golden Ratio and its relation to Fibonacci numbers.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. First, you need to understand Fibonacci numbers. This is a sequence of numbers produced by adding 0 + 1 = 1, then adding the second addend and the sum to get a new sum, 1 + 1 = 2, and continuing that pattern:
   1 + 2 = 3, 2 + 3 = 5, 3 + 5 = 8, etc.
2. The first 15 numbers in the Fibonacci series are:
   
   0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610
3. In terms of the Golden Ratio, divide two adjacent numbers in the Fibonacci series. For example:
   1 / 1 = 1
   8 / 5 = 1.6
   610 / 377 = 1.618
4. As the numbers taken from the Fibonacci sequence get larger, the quotient produced by dividing the two numbers approaches 1.618, which is considered to be the Golden Ratio.
5. This ratio is found throughout nature, from the spirals on snail shells to flower petals. It is also used in architecture and is considered a pleasing proportion.