How many baubles and lights to put on the Christmas tree? Members of the Mathematical Society (SUMS) ofUniversity of Sheffield they calculated the mathematical formula to decorate a tree perfectlyso that the relationship between lights, decorations, balls and the height of the star is perfectly commensurate with the height of the tree.
In fact, the formula starts precisely fromheight of the tree to establish the quantity of ornaments that will be placed, so as to have a perfect tree, or at least a very harmonious one. The “treegonometric” formulas that were established by the students are the following:
- Number of balls = √17 ÷ 20 × tree height in centimeters
- Length of the decoration (cm) = 13 × π ÷ 8 × tree height in centimeters
- Length of lights (cm) = π × tree height in centimeters
- Height of the star (cm) = height of the tree in centimeters ÷ 10
To give an example, doing the calculations, a 140 centimeter tall tree must have:
- 29 balls
- a decoration 715 cm long, i.e. 7.15 metres
- of the lights 440 cm long, i.e. 4.40 metres
- a star 14 centimeters high
Clearly, these calculations were done for fun, but the intent behind the students is very noble. This is an excellent one example to show how the mathematics it could be something that is present in ours everyday life and it helps us to organize ourselves, to move, to communicate, and in this case to create something harmonious and rightly proportioned.
Mathematics, in fact, is often seen as something very far from us, which we cannot touch with our hands and which will hardly be able to help us in our daily tasks. But it’s not like that! And we can also find the demonstration at Christmas, while we decorate the tree.
