LIGHTING TERMINOLOGIES

Candlepower (cp):
unit of luminous intensity
candela [cd] (SI units)
Candela and candlepower has the same magnitude
Lumen (lm)
quantitative unit for measuring flow of light energy
(luminous flux) emanating from 1 ft2 of a 1 ft2 surface of
1 candlepower
[SI units] – 1 lumen is the luminous flux from 1m2 of a 1
m2 surface of 1 candela
Illumination – density of the luminous flux (lumens per
unit area)
Footcandle
1 lumen of luminous flux spread uniformly over an area
of 1ft2 produces an illumination of 1 footcandle
[SI units] – 1 lumen spread over 1m2, the illumination is
expressed in lux (lx)
Footcandles = lumens
ft2
lux = lumens
m2
Absorptance
darker objects absorb more than lighter colored objects

Reflectance, Reflection Factor, Reflectance

Coefficient
Specular Reflection – “regular reflection” (observed in mirror)
angle of reflection = angle of incident light
Diffuse Reflection – reflected light is scattered in all directions
Transmittance, Luminous Transmittance, Transmission
Factor, Coefficient of Transmission
ratio of light *transmitted through a material
transmission of light - direct, diffuse or combination

Direct Transmission – light passes through clear, transparent materials;

angle at which the light leaves is the same as that at which it enters

Diffuse Transmission – transmitted light is scattered evenly

Materials that transmit light in a diffuse pattern are known as
“translucent”
Refraction
bending of a ray of light as it passes obliquely through a material
Footlambert (fL)
Quantitative unit for measuring brightness
Value – 1 lumen per square foot
• When the illumination is on a surface, the lumens per square
foot are measured as footcandles
• When brightness is from a surface, the lumens per square foot
are measured as footlamberts
Brightness/Luminance – index of intensity of light being
emitted, transmitted or reflected from a surface
Brightness – perceived light
Luminance – measured quantity
 Formulas
Luminance = illumination x reflectance
Luminance = illumination x transmittance

Footlamberts = footcandles x reflectance factor

Footlamberts = footcandles x transmission factor

(SI units) – the unit of brightness is lambert (L): luminance of a

surface reflecting, transmitting, or emitting 1 lumen per square
centimeter
1 lambert = 1,076 footlamberts
1 millilambert = 1.076 footlamberts
Glare
effect of excessive brightness in the field of view, causing
annoyance, discomfort and interfering with vision (direct from
light/reflected from a shiny surface)
Work Station
immediate contiguous area in which a worker performs visual
task (50 ft2/4.6 m2 – allotted for work station)
Work Plane
Surface on which visual task is performed (assumed to be a
horizontal plane 30” (0.76 m ) above floor
Primary Source
Luminous source where light energy is generated and transmitted directly
to a task
Secondary Source
Surfaces that derive their brightness from reflected incident illumination
Lamp
Generic term for artificial light
Incandescent filament lamps – “bulbs”
fluorescent lamps – “tubes”
HID light sources – “lamps”
Reflector
device for redirecting radiant energy of a lamp by reflecting it in
the desired direction
Refractor
device for redirecting radiant energy of a lamp in the desired
direction by refraction through a lense
Luminaire
complete lighting unit/ “fixture”