Lighting Fundamentals

Physics of Light

Asia
Pacific
 Contents
• What is Light
– Light & The Eye

• Units & Measurement

• Light ,Colour & Perception

• Light Generation of Principles

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 Electromagnetic Spectrum

• The electromagnetic spectrum has a range of wavelengths ,

Gamma to Radio waves. Only a small part are Light waves

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 Light spectrum

• Wavelength of 380nm-800nm is occupied by light waves

• It is identified by colors Violet to Red

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 •The Amazing Human Eye

•The ‘eye brain system’

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 Human Eye is the Light Sensor
“Visually perceived radiant energy !”
•Light waves falling on the retina
•Signal transmitted to the brain
via optic nerves

•Signal enables us to ‘see’ the

object
•Vision is resultant of a process
between ‘Light’ itself and ‘Eye’

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 Eye also can sense Shape and Colour separately

 Rods in the eye help to

determine the Shape
 Cones distinguishes Colour
 Rods and Cones respond to
the Colours of Light in a
different way

Normalized response spectra of human cones,

S, M, and L types, to monochromatic spectral
stimuli

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 Spectral Eye Sensitivity Curve

Scotopic Vision
Photopic Vision

The ‘Eye’ has different sensitivity to different Colours(Wavelength).

This forms the basis of different lamp efficiencies
Note: Mesopic Vision
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 Units & Measurements
The Four Basic Lighting Units

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 The four basic lighting quantities

luminous flux

illuminance luminance

luminous intensity

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 The four basic lighting quantities

Luminous flux
(lumen)

Luminance
(cd/m2)

Intensity
(candela)

Illuminance
(lux)

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 Luminous flux
The amount of light emitted per second by a light source

Unit: lumen (lm)

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 Luminous Intensity
The amount of light radiated per second by a light source in a
given direction

I Luminous Flux in a
certain direction,
radiated per unit of
I solid angle

w Unit : Candela
Symbol : I
I = Luminous flux =
Solid Angle w

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 Light Distribution in a space

Luminance
Illuminance

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 Illuminance

The amount of light falling on a unit of surface

E
Unit: lux (lx=lm/m2)

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 Inverse Square Law

11 lux
25 lux

100 lux

1m

2m

4m

Law valid for point sources at a distance greater than 5 times

the maximum dimension of the source
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 Typical Illuminance Levels In And Outdoors
(Noon On A Sunny Day)

100 lux 2500 lux 5000 lux 10 000 lux 100 000 lux

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 Typical lighting level for Sports TV

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 Typical Lighting level in office

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 Typical Lighting level in industry

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 Luminance

The amount of light radiated by a unit of apparent surface in a

given direction

Luminance is applicable to
•Light Emitting Surface (Lamp, Luminaires)
•Light Reflecting Surface (like Road, Table top etc)

L
Unit: candela per m2 (cd/m2)

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 Luminance
For light reflecting surface

L= pE

L Unit
cd/m2
Symbol L

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 Luminance
Some Practical examples

Surface of the sun 1,650,000,0

00 cd/m2
Filament of a clear incandescent lamp 7,000,000
cd/m2
Fluorescent lamp 5000 -
15000
cd/m2
Surface of the full moon 2500 cd/m2
Sunlit Beach 1,500 cd/m2
Road Surface under artificial lighting 0.5 - 2
cd/m2

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 •Quantities and Units
Light Measurement

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 The four basic lighting quantities
Measurement of luminous flux
Integrating Sphere
1.Source
2. Opaque screen
3. Photocell
4. Light ray (reflected once)
5. Light ray (reflected twice)

4 5

2 3
1

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 Measurement of luminous intensity

Goniophotometer
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 Measurement of illuminance

Lux meter

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 Measurement of luminance

Luminance meter

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 Light & Colour

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 Colour of White Light

•Light waves constitute of

colours
•Light waves can be split
into its component colours
by refracting it through a
glass prism
•Each colour is identified by
its wavelength

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 White Light can be made by recombining !

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 Primary Colours of Light

In Artificial Lighting ,
3 primary Red ,Blue and
Green can produce
White Light !

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 Light & Colour

• What does a Light Source look like

• What do I look Like under a Light Source

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 10 000 K
Colour Appearance
=
Color temperature

Kelvin (K)
0°C = 273 K

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 Different shades of white

10000 K  sunrise

6000 K  sun at zenith

5000 K  mid-day sun

2000 K  sunset

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 Different shades of white

10 000 K Cool White

5600 K MHN-SA 956

4200 K CDM 942

3000 K CDM830
2500 K White Son
2000 K Son
1000 K Warm White
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 Colour Rendition
Perceived colour of any object

Red
Object
Red
(reflected)

Blue
Object

Blue
(Reflected)

Green
object
Green
(Reflected)

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 Ra 60 Ra 80

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 Colour rendering
Under a continuous spectrum

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 Colour rendering
Under monochromatic, yellow light

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 Colour rendering measurement :Ra
TL-D, TL5
PL-T, PL-C
PL-L, PL-S

QL
CDM
MHD
SON Comfort TL-D
TL5
Tungsten

SDW-T
SOX SON HPL HPI CDM

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

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 Light & Perception

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 Visual Ability and Acuity

Visual Acuity depends on :

• Quality of the ‘eye’
• Contrast Detection
• Observation Time

• Age has a negative effect on Visual Acuity

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 Eye Performance and Lighting Criteria

Visual Requirements based on Perception

– Minimum apparent size
– Minimum brightness(luminance)
– Adapted to overall luminance in the field of view
– Minimum contrast ( brightness and/or colour) with respect to
its surroundings
– Presented for a certain minimium period of time

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 Creating a Lighting Environment

• Lighting Level
• Luminance Distribution in the field of View
• Avoidance of Glare
• Spatial Distribution of Light
• Light Colour and Colour Rendering

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 Lighting Level
Lighting Level is determined by the level of Eye Task

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 Lighting Level

Soccer : Tennis:
Slower , Speed and Large Ball Higher Speed and Small Ball

Competition Level : 150 Lux Competition Level : 500 Lux

Lighting Level is determined by the Speed of Activity and size of object

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 Lighting and Visual Performance

Visual Performance and

Task Illuminance

Lux
500 2000

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 Visual Function
Increased light requirement with age
light requirement 

• Old people need as much

14
as 15 times more light for
12 a specific task than do the
young.
10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
age (years) 

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 Uniformity

High uniformity is desired in Non Unifiorm lighting can

Areas like offices create interesting effects in
social areas

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 Reflected and Direct Glare

Reflected Glare from Direct Glare from

Water Luminaires

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 How is Light Generated
• Two basic Principles

– Heating : Thermal Radiation

– Electrochemical Reaction- Selective Radiation

• Thermal Radiation
– Electromagnetic radiation when heated
– Continuous Spectrum

• Selective Radiation
– Gases emit e.m. radiation when electrons are passed through it
– E.M. radiation can also be Light , UV etc
– Line Spectrum
– Spectra will depend on type of gas and pressure
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 How is Light Generated
• Thermal Radiation
– Electromagnetic radiation when heated
– Continuous Spectrum

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 How is Light Generated
• Selective Radiation
– Gases emit e.m. radiation when electrons are passed through it
– E.M. radiation can also be Light , UV etc
– Line Spectrum
– Spectra will depend on type of gas and pressure

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 Families and history
Lamp families - general
Lamps

Incandescent Gas discharge Solid state

Conventional Halogen Mercury Sodium High power Low power

Low pressure High pressure Low pressure High pressure

PL-C ML
PL-L HP
PL-Q HPI
PL-R MHD SDW
PL-S MHN SOX SON
PL-T MHW
QL CDM
TL5 CDO
TL-D, TL CPO-TW
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 Defining Lamp Characteristics

• Luminous Efficacy : Lumen Output/Input Watts (lm/W)

(Maximum Intensity/Beam Angle)

• Colour Temperature (Tc)

• Colour Rendering Index (Ra)

• Average Lamp Life (burning hours)

• Electrical Accessories (starters/ignitors, ballast)

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 James Turrell ‘Afrum-Proto’

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