How Do Lumens, Lux, and Candela Differ in Measuring Light?

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SUMMARY

This discussion clarifies the differences between lumens, lux, and candela, which are essential units in measuring light. The candela is the SI unit of luminous intensity, defined as the intensity of a source emitting monochromatic radiation at 540 x 1012 Hz with a radiant intensity of 1/683 watt/steradian. The lumen, representing luminous flux, is defined as the intensity in candelas of a point source within a cone of 1 steradian. Lux, the SI unit of illumination, is defined as one lumen per square meter, providing a measure of light intensity over a given area.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of SI units and their definitions
  • Basic knowledge of luminous flux and intensity
  • Familiarity with the concept of illuminance
  • Mathematical skills to interpret equations related to light measurement
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the application of luminous efficiency in lighting design
  • Explore the relationship between lumens and energy consumption in lighting
  • Learn about the practical implications of using lux in workspace lighting
  • Investigate the role of spectral sensitivity in defining luminous efficacy
USEFUL FOR

Lighting designers, electrical engineers, and anyone involved in energy-efficient lighting solutions will benefit from this discussion on the measurement of light. Understanding these units is crucial for optimizing lighting systems and ensuring effective illumination.

cepheid
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Hello,

I'm new here. I was wondering if anyone could help me out with some confusion regarding units. My landlady (like most people) wants to save money on power consumption, so she has me installing Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs(CFLs), which are supposed to save energy. On the package, it said that a 15W CFL is just as good as a 60W incandescent bulb, because they both give off ~800lumens. I couldn't understand that. The lumen is one of the three units whose meanings I don't remember:

candela

lumen

lux

Also,I found out that they measure the physical quantities luminous flux, illuminance, and intesity, but I don't know which measures which, and what the defn's of these are. Can anyone help me out?
 
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The candela is the SI unit of luminous intensity and is defined as the luminous intensity in a given direction of a source that emits monochromatic radiation of 540 x 1012 Hz and has a radiant intensity (in the given direction) of 1/683 watt/steradian.

The lumen is the SI unit of luminous flux and is defined as the intensity (in candelas) of a point source in a cone of 1 steradian. Luminous flux can be found (for monochromatic radiation)by:

\Phi_v = K_m\Phi_eV(\lambda)

Where Φe is the radiant flux Km is a constantr relaing the two units of flux and V(λ) is the luminous efficency for λ

The lux is the SI unit of illumination and is defined as one lumen over an area of 1 m2

It can be found on a surface of area dS from the following equation:

\Phi_v = \int E_v dS
 
Thank you for those precise definitions.
 

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