Mathematics in Nature
Count the petals on a daisy. Count them again on a sunflower's spiral seeds. Look closely at a pinecone or a snail's shell. Nature is covered in hidden number patterns — and today you get to go hunting for them!
What You'll Learn
- Spot patterns of shapes and numbers in plants and shells - Count petals and sort them into groups - Recognize a spiral shape - Make your own nature pattern with objects you find
Petals That Follow a Pattern
Many flowers grow a special number of petals. Lilies often have 3 petals. Buttercups usually have 5. Daisies can have 34 or even 55 tiny petals! Scientists noticed that many of these petal counts show up again and again in nature: 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55. Each number is the sum of the two numbers before it (3+5=8, 5+8=13). This special list is called the Fibonacci sequence, named after an Italian mathematician who studied it long ago.
Spirals in Shells and Seeds
Look at a snail shell or a nautilus shell — it curls around and around in a spiral, getting a little bigger with each turn. Sunflowers grow their seeds in two sets of spirals, one curving one way and one curving the other way. This spiral pattern helps the plant pack the most seeds into the smallest space possible, so nothing is wasted.
Pinecones also grow in spirals! If you count the spiral rows going one direction and then the other, you will almost always get two numbers from the Fibonacci pattern, like 8 and 13.
What is special about the Fibonacci sequence (3, 5, 8, 13, 21...)?
Why do sunflowers grow their seeds in a spiral pattern?
Nature Pattern Hunt
Go outside or look at pictures of 3 different plants (flowers, pinecones, or leaves). Count and record how many petals, spirals, or leaf clusters each one has. Circle any numbers that match the Fibonacci list (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21). Draw your favorite find and label the number you counted.
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