Name __________________________ Algebra 2 with Trigonometry PHI, Fibonacci, & the Natural World

Date __________ Mr. Yates

1) The Fibonacci Sequence starts with the numbers 1 & 1. Then to get each new number, add the two directly before it. Thus 1+1 = 2, 1+2 = 3, and 2+3 = 5. Continue the Fibonacci Sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, 2) Spirals: Watch Video1, but pause it around the 1:40 mark. On graph paper, draw the same Fibonacci-based rectangles and spiral that Vi Hart draws. * 3) Pineapple: Continue Video1 to 3:20, then pause it. Like Vi Hart does with a pinecone, lets count the spirals on a pineapple! Use a marker to trace your spirals so you dont accidentally count one twice. Record the number of spirals here in one direction: And in the other direction: Finish Video1. Extra credit if you can bring in some other plant with spirals that we can count! 4) Phi ( ): Use the quadratic formula to solve this equation: x2 x 1 = 0. Show * your work on a sheet of looseleaf lined paper. While finding the solution, keep all steps accurate to seven places after the decimal point (e.g. do not round the square root of 5 as 2.24). Write the positive solution here:

This number is known as the golden ratio, and abbreviated with the Greek letter (phi, pronounced fee or fie depending on whom you ask). 5) Notice that if we add one and x to both sides in the above quadratic 2 equation, we get x2 = x + 1. Check this out by squaring phi: . What do you get?

Do you get the same by adding

+ 1?

6) Watch Video2. Pause around 1:28. Think back to your biology class. Why does a plant need to maximize the sunlight its leaves get?

7) Calculate the ratios of successive Fibonacci numbers here. Go out to at least five decimal places:
1 = 1 2 = 1 3 = 2 5 = 3 5 = =
= = = = = =

What do you notice?

8) Continue Video2. Pause at 4:00. Make a phi Angle-O-Tron and (on a separate sheet of paper) draw a plants leaves (or pinecone, or similar) like Vi does in the video. Mark the spirals. Finish Video2. *

9) Begin Video3. Pause around 1:05. If the Fibonacci number ratios and the Lucas number ratios both converge to , do other sequences work too? Pick two non-Fibonacci whole numbers to start your sequence & write them here:

Continue your sequence by adding the two previous numbers to get the next one, in the same way as Fibonacci and Lucas. Write ten terms of your sequence here: Hooray name this sequence after yourself. You are now a mathematician, having invented a sequence (maybe) no-one ever thought about before! Calculate the ratios of each consecutive pair of numbers in your sequence:

10) In three-five sentences, summarize the argument for why phi and Fibonacci numbers show up in plants.

11) Notice that if we divide through the quadratic equation in #5 by x, we get x = 1 + 1/x (verify this!)

Thus phi can be expressed as an infinite continued fraction:

=1 +
1+ 1+ 1+

1 1 1 1 1+ 1+ 1 1 1+ 1 ...

If we truncate at successive stops (as follows), what fractions result?

=1 +
1+ 1+ 1+

1 1 1 1 1+ 1+ 1 1 1+ 1 ...

[Recall 1 over a number is taking the reciprocal, which is like flipping a fraction, so 1/(5/2) is 2/5.] 12) Research one more interesting fact about the number (a.k.a the golden ratio) and write it here!