Famous Numbers
A few numbers have acquired individual fame and can immediately engage the curiosity of students. The following
resources involve learners in inquiry activities as they delve into the origin and characteristics of the boiling
point of water, the golden ratio, and pi.
The boiling point of water is well known as 100° C or 212° F, but is that the actual number always
and everywhere? In this inquiry, people from all over the world boil water at different elevations and post data to
discover which factor in the experiment (room temperature, elevation, volume of water, or heating device) has the
greatest influence on boiling point.
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Expressed as a number, the golden ratio is an irrational: 1.6180339887 . . . . This well-illustrated site offers
seven activities that introduce students in a friendly way to the golden ratio and guide them in recognizing
it in art and architecture. A final activity has students construct a golden section and even a golden spiral.
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Students measure the diameter and circumference of several circles, using a handy applet, record their data, and reach conclusions
about the ratio of circumference to diameter. Through guided exploration, learners come to realize the origin and meaning of this
number — even those who have already memorized it as 22/7! (From Educational Java Programs)
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Copyright
October 2007 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work
supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any
opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the National Science Foundation.
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This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
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