Unit of illuminationin physics

Through the sensor inside the lux meter we can obtain, at a selected point, the value of the light intensity. In this way we can know if the light, artificial or natural, captured by the meter meets or does not meet the minimum values for its conversion to be adequate.

Unit of illuminationexamples

For this reason, it is very important to be able to measure the light levels correctly according to the use that our space will have in order to have a correct illumination. From Faro Barcelona we want to give you some tips so that you can measure light correctly and be efficient in the expected result.

In other words, it is a measuring device that allows us to know how much light or luminosity there is in an environment with which light is perceived by the human eye.

SIunit of illumination

Light is the form of energy that illuminates things and makes them visible. It is an electromagnetic wave that can be perceived by the human eye and whose frequency determines its colour.

In order to measure light, according to the International System of Measurement, we have to base ourselves on three specific aspects and on the distance of the set of luminous rays from the same origin.

In 1672, the scientist Isaac Newton demonstrated that sunlight, white light, was not pure as previously believed, but was composed of a mixture of different colours. He refracted white light through a prism and broke it down into the basic colours of the visible spectrum.

Unit of illuminationmeaning

White light is therefore understood as light that contains all the colours of the visible spectrum, which can be classified as follows:

At each end of the visible spectrum - and already imperceptible to the human eye - are the wavelengths corresponding to infrared light - 750 nm - and ultraviolet light - below 400 nm.

Unit of illuminationintensity

Radiation energy in the form of waves is only perceptible when it interacts on a medium with a given direction. This transfer of energy from one body to another is what we call radiation.

The human eye is sensitive to a very wide range of light intensities, but at low levels of illumination, it can lose the ability to differentiate some details.

Unit of illuminationlux

Before we look at how light is measured, let's look at a little more definition of this concept. Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation capable of exciting the retina of the human eye to produce a visual sensation.

The operation is very simple, but before measuring the light it is advisable to take into account the preconditions. Thus, the distance and the angle between the luxmeter and the object to be measured should be fixed in order to obtain results with high reproducibility.

The luxmeter is a tool that helps to measure the lighting conditions of an interior space. As its name indicates, the luxmeter's unit of measurement is the lux.

Visible light or the visible spectrum is the region of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be perceived by the human eye and corresponds to wavelengths between 380 and 750 nanometres.

Luxmeters can have different scales depending on the amount of light to be measured, in order to be able to have a more exact precision in case of stronger or weaker luminosity.