Golden Ratio Calculator

The golden ratio (φ) is approximately 1.6180339887. It occurs when a line is divided so that the ratio of the whole to the longer part equals the ratio of the longer part to the shorter: (a+b)/a = a/b = φ.

Designers use φ to create visually pleasing proportions. A golden rectangle has sides in the ratio 1:1.618. It appears in logo design, typography, layout grids, and photography composition. The rule of thirds is a simplified approximation.

φ = (1 + √5) / 2 ≈ 1.6180339887. Its reciprocal 1/φ = φ - 1 ≈ 0.618. The calculator finds golden ratio pairs: given one dimension, it computes the other. For a 500px width, the golden height is 309px.

Spiral galaxies, nautilus shells, hurricane formations, sunflower seed patterns, and DNA molecule proportions all approximate the golden ratio. Flower petals often come in Fibonacci numbers, which relate directly to φ.

For a 960px layout: main content = 593px, sidebar = 367px (ratio 1.618:1). For font sizes: if body text is 16px, headings could be 26px (16 × 1.618). Line height of 1.618em also creates harmonious spacing.