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Luminous Intensity Normal to Surface measures the brightness of light emitted or reflected from a surface in a specific direction, typically perpendicular to the surface. It quantifies the luminous power per unit solid angle in a given direction.
The calculator uses the formula:
Where:
Explanation: This formula calculates the luminous intensity normal to a surface by multiplying the surface area by the luminance measured perpendicular to that surface.
Details: Accurate calculation of luminous intensity is crucial for lighting design, photometric measurements, and ensuring proper illumination levels in various applications including architectural lighting, automotive lighting, and display technologies.
Tips: Enter surface area in square meters and luminance normal to surface in lux. Both values must be positive numbers greater than zero for accurate calculation.
Q1: What is the difference between luminance and luminous intensity?
A: Luminance measures the amount of light emitted from a surface per unit area, while luminous intensity measures the luminous power per unit solid angle in a specific direction.
Q2: What are typical units for luminous intensity?
A: Luminous intensity is typically measured in candela (cd), which is the SI base unit for luminous intensity.
Q3: When is this calculation most commonly used?
A: This calculation is commonly used in lighting engineering, photometry, and radiometry for designing and analyzing lighting systems and illuminated surfaces.
Q4: How does surface area affect luminous intensity?
A: For a given luminance level, larger surface areas will produce higher luminous intensity as more light is emitted or reflected from the larger surface.
Q5: Are there limitations to this formula?
A: This formula assumes uniform luminance across the surface and that the measurement is taken normal (perpendicular) to the surface. It may not be accurate for non-uniform surfaces or off-normal measurements.