Golden Ratio Calculator

What to work out

Size

Result

Larger part618.03
Smaller part381.97
Total1,000
Golden rectangle1000 × 618
Phi1.618034
For comparison: a third333.33

1.618 and what to do with it

Splits a size by the golden ratio, extends a given value into a golden pair, and gives the sides of a golden rectangle.

The golden ratio divides a length so that the whole relates to the larger part exactly as the larger part relates to the smaller. That ratio is 1.618, and it is the only number with the property.

In design it serves as an alternative to the rule of thirds: the golden line sits 38.2 percent from the edge rather than 33.3. Five percentage points sounds trivial, but the composition reads noticeably differently.

What this calculator shows

The larger and smaller parts of a golden split
The sides of the corresponding golden rectangle
The rule-of-thirds line for comparison

What to keep in mind

Phi is irrational, so any concrete value is a rounding; two decimal places is plenty for layout work.
The golden ratio is a compositional device, not a law of nature: claims about its ubiquity in painting and architecture mostly fail when measured.

FAQs

What is the golden ratio?

About 1.6180339887. Exactly, it is one plus the square root of five, divided by two.

How does it differ from the rule of thirds?

The golden line sits 38.2 percent from the edge, the thirds line at 33.3. The rule of thirds is easier to remember; the golden ratio gives a slightly more offset composition.

What is a golden rectangle?

A rectangle whose sides are in the ratio 1.618 to 1. Cut a square off it and what remains has exactly the same proportions.

Is the golden ratio really everywhere in nature?

Partly: the Fibonacci sequence genuinely governs the arrangement of seeds and leaves. Claims about the Parthenon and the Mona Lisa generally do not survive measurement.

Worked example

A thousand-pixel grid

Input: Split 1000 by the golden ratio

Output: 618 and 382 pixels

Note: The classic pair for a two-column layout: 618 for content, 382 for a sidebar. The rule of thirds on the same width would give 667 and 333.

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Golden Ratio Calculator

Result

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