What are Radiance and Irradiance and how do they differ?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter JJ123
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Irradiance Radiance
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
1 reply · 20K views
JJ123
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Hey, I'm having trouble working out what Radiance and Irradiance are, all the definitions I get are along the lines of something really technical like:

"For a point of radiant energy, Radiant Intensity, in a specified direction, per unit projected area: Le=(dIe/dA)*Cos(theta) where A is the area and theta is the angle between the specified direction and the surface".

Would you be kind enough to give me a very simple wordy definition of what these are and the difference between the two? Thank you SO much.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Radiance is the power from the source per area into a certain solid angle.
Irradiance is the power onto a surface per area

(hint, Irriadiance = I = input )