Illumination Inverse Square Law Problem Solving:

1. A high pressure mercury vapour lamp is mounted at a height 6m in the middle of a large road
crossing. A special reflector direct 100 cp maximum in a cone of 70 deg to the vertical plane.
Calculate the intensity of illumination on the road surface due to this beam of 100 cp.
Solution:
The total flux emitted by the light source is,   4I
The circular surface area at road illuminated from a lamp of 6m high is, A  r
2

The circular surface area has a radius of, r  h tan 

Therefore, the illumination on the road surface is,
 4I 4 (100)
E    1.47lux
A r 2
 (6 tan 700 ) 2
2. A lamp giving out 1200 lumen in all direction is suspended 8m above the working plane.

m
Calculate the illumination at a point on the working plane 6 m away from the foot of the lamp.

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Solution:

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Considering that light is uniformly distributed in all direction

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 1200
The Luminous Intensity is I    95.5cd

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4 4
h rs e  
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I cos I d h h
E  I 3 I
d 2
d 2
d h 2
 x2 
3
o

8
E  95.5  0.764lux
8 
aC s

3
2
6 2
vi y re

3. A small light source with intensity uniform in all direction is mounted at a height of 10m above
the horizontal surface. Two points A and B both lie on the surface with point A directly beneath
the source. How far is B if the illumination at B is 1/10th as great as A?
ed d

Solution:
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Using inverse square law

I
The illumination at point A due to small light source is E A 
10 2
sh is

h 10
The illumination at point B due to small light source is E B  I 3  I
d  
3
Th

x 2  10 2
But the condition is that the Illumination at point B is 0.1 of Illumination at point A,
thus E B  0.1E A
10 I
 
I 3
= 0.1
x 2  10 2 10 2
x  19.1m

4. A corridor is lighted by 4 lamps 10 m apart and suspended at a height of 5m above the

centerline of the floor. If each lamp give 200cp in all direction below the horizontal, find the
illumination at the point midway between second and third lamp.

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 Solution:
h h
Eo   I  I
d3  x2  h2 3

Imagine the 4 lamps A, B, C & D of 10m apart at the ceiling at height 5m above the floor
The illumination at point on the floor between lamp B & C are the following:
EP  E A  EB  EC  ED
h h h h
EP  I 3
I 3
I 3
I 3
 X 2  h 2   X 2  h 2   X 2  h 2   X 2  h 2 
 AO
  BO
  CO
  DO

5 5 5 5
E P  200  200  200  200  6.16 Lux

(10  5) 2  5 2
3

52  52
3
 52  52 3

(10  5) 2  5 2   
3

m
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co
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5. Two lamps A and B of 200 and 400 candela respectively are situated 100 m apart. The height of

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A above the floor level is 10m and that of B is 20 m. A photometer is placed at the center of the

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line adjoining the two lamp post, calculate its reading.
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Solution:
h h
EC   I  I
d3 x 2
 h2  3
o

hA hB 10 20
aC s

EC  I A  IB  200  400  0.066 lux

 50   50 
vi y re

3 3 3 3
 x 2  h 2   x 2  h 2  2
 10 2 2
 20 2
 A
  B


6. A room is 6mx4m is illuminated by a single 100 cp in all directions suspended at the center 3m
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above the floor level, Calculate the illumination: a. below the lamp; b. at the corner of the room.
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Solution:
a. The illumination right below the light source
I 100
E  2  2  11.11 Lux
sh is

h 3
b. The illumination at corner point of the room
Th

Height is 3m
42  62
Horizontal distance x   3.62m
2
h h 3
EC  I 3  I  100  2.29 Lux
d 
x2  h2
3

3.62 2  32  3

7. A lamp of 100 cp is place at the center of 10mx6mx4m high. Calculate the illumination at each
corner of the floor and at a point in the middle of 6m wall at a height of 2m from the floor.
Solution:

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 The illumination at corner point of the floor

Height is 4m
10 2  6 2
Horizontal distance x   5.83m
2
h h 4
E I 3 I  100  1.13 Lux
d 
x2  h2
3
 5.832  4 2  
3

The illumination at midpoint of 6m wall at a height 2m above the floor is

Height = 4m-2m=2m
10m
Horizontal distance x   5m
2

m
h h 2
EC  I I  100  1.28 Lux
x  5 

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d3 2
 h2
3
2
 22
3

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8. A light source of 5000 lm is suspended 6.1 m above the ground. Find the illumination A. at a
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point just below the lamp; b. at a point 12.2 m away from the first, assuming uniform
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distribution of light from the source.
Solution:
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a. The illumination right below the light source

I 397.9
aC s

E  2   10.7 Lux
vi y re

h 6.12
b. The illumination at a point on the ground 12.2m away from the foot of the lamp post
Height is 6.1m
Horizontal Distance x=12.2m
ed d
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h h 6. 1
E I I  397.8  0.96 Lux
d3  x2  h2 
3
 12.2 2
 6.12 
3
sh is

9. Two lamps are mounted at a height of 9 m from the floor level. The distance between the lamps
Th

is 1.0m. lamp 1 is of 500 cd. If the illumination at the floor vertically below the lamp 1 is 20 lux,
find the candle power of lamp 2.
Solution:
I1 h
ET  2
 I2 3
h  x 2  h 2 
 2 2

500 9
20  2  I B I B  1140 cd
9 
12  9 2
3

10. Two powerful street lamp A & B 1000 and 800 cd( assumed uniform in all direction) are
mounted 12.5m above the road level and are spaced 25m apart. Find the intensity of horizontal

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 illumination produced at a point on the ground in between the lamp posts and just below the
lamp post.
Solution:
The Illumination at point on the ground between the lamps is

hA hB 12.5 12.5
EC  I A  IB  1000  800  4.07 lux
 x 2  h 2 
 A

3
 x 2  h 2 
 B

3
 12.5 2
 12.5 2

3
 12.5 2
 12.5 2

3

The Illumination at point on the ground below the lamp A is

I hB 1000 12.5
E A  A2  I B   800  6.857 lux
hA  x 2  h 2 
3
12.5 2
25 2
 12.5 2
3
 

m
 B


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The Illumination at point on the ground below the lamp B is

o.
I hA 800 12.5
E B  B2  I A   1000  5.69 lux
hB rs e
 x 2  h 2 
3
12.5 2
25  12.5 2   3
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2

 A

o
aC s
vi y re
ed d
ar stu
sh is
Th

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