MODULE 2

Measurement of light
•Light is the cause and illumination is the result of light on the surfaces it
falls
•It is defined as the process by which body or surface get illuminated.
 Basic Definitions
• Solid angle (Ω) – Angle subtended at the centre of sphere of
radius R, by a surface S. Angle subtended at the centre of
sphere by an area equal to square of radius. Its unit is
steradian.
• Light : That part of radiant energy from a hot body which
produces visual sensation on human eye

• Luminous intensity (I) : The power or strength of the source of

light . Measured in Candela

• Luminous Flux (F) : The energy from the light source is radiated in
the form of light waves. This flow of light from the source is
known as luminous Flux. Unit - lumen
Hence, Luminous flux is the rate at which light energy flows from the
source or simply it is the total quantity of light energy per second.

• Lumen : one lumen is the luminous flux emitted per unit solid
angle from a point source of one candle power
• Luminous intensity is luminous flux per unit solid angle(ie 1
steradian). .

I=F/Ω

Unit is candela(cd or lm/sr)

Therefore, 1 lumen = 1 cd * 1 solid angle

Total solid angle = 4∏
Total luminous flux produced = 1 cd * 4∏ = 4∏ lumens

or F = I* Ω
• Brightness or luminance(L): luminous intensity per
unit projected area of the surface in a given direction.
Unit cd/m2.
•Lamp efficiency or efficacy: visible radiations emitted
by it. It is defined as ratio of luminous flux to power
input .Its unit is lumens / watt
 MHCP, MSCP, MHSCP
• MHCP(Mean Horizontal Candle Power): Mean of candle
power in a horizontal plane in all directions. Mean of
luminous intensities in all directions in a horizontal plane
containing the source of light.
• MSCP(Mean Spherical Candle Power): Mean of candle
powers of a source of light in all directions.
MSCP = Flux emitted in all directions
4π
• MHSCP(Mean Hemi Spherical Candle Power): Mean of
candle powers of a source of light in all directions within the
hemisphere either above or below the horizontal plane through
the centre of the light source.
MHCP = Flux emitted in a hemisphere
2π
• Reluctance factor = MSCP
MHCP
 LAWS OF ILLUMINATION
INVERSE SQUARE LAW:
• States that the illumination (E) of a surface is directly
proportional to the luminous intensity and inversely
proportional to the square of the distance between the source
and the illuminated surface, as long as the source remains the
same.
• E = I/r2
• I= luminous intensity
• E- illumination of the surface
• r- distance between the source and surface to be illuminated
• This is true only when the surface to be illuminated is placed
normal to the direction of the light beam.
 COSINE LAW

• When the plane to be illuminated may not be normal to the direction of

luminous flux, and is inclined by an angle θ,
where θ is the angle between the line of flux and the normal
to the illuminated plane.
• The law states that the illumination on a surface is directly proportional to the
cosine of the angle between the normal to the surface and the line of flux and
also to intensity of the source. E is inversely proportional to r 2.
• E = I cos θ/r2
• These laws are applicable only to point sources( no reflecting surfaces)
Q1. A lamp giving out 1200 lm in all directions is
suspended 8 m above the working plane.
Calculate the illumination at a point on the
working plane 6 m away from the foot of the
lamp.
• A corridor is lighted by 4 lamps spaced 10 m
apart and suspended at a height of 5 m above
the centre line of the floor. If each lamp gives
200 candle-power in all directions below the
horizontal, find the illumination at the point
on the floor mid-way between the second and
third lamps.
 Polar Curve
•They are plot drawn between the candle power and angular
position.
•The luminous intensity is not same in all directions in most
lamps because of their unsymmetrical shape. The luminous
intensity in all directions are represented by polar curves

•Used for determining MSCP and MHCP

•2 types- Horizontal polar curve and vertical polar curve

Horizontal polar curve and vertical polar curve
• By using polar curves mean horizontal candle power
(MHCP) and mean spherical candle power (MSCP)
can be determined
• The Mean Horizontal Candle Power (MHCP) of a
lamp can be determined from the horizontal polar
curve by taking the mean value of the candle power
in a horizontal direction
• The Mean Horizontal Candle Power (MHCP) of a
lamp can be determined from the horizontal polar
curve by taking the mean value of the candle power
in a horizontal direction
 Rousseau's curve
• Consider a vertical polar curve consisting of two symmetrical
lobes along YOY' axis. Then the Rousseau's curve can be
constructed as follows,
• Firstly a circle of any radius is drawn by taking the center (O)
as the pole of the polar curve.
• Draw a line AB equal and parallel to the vertical diameter
(YOY') of the circle.
• Now draw a line OCD such that C lies on the polar curve and
D lies on the circle.
• Let E be the projection of line OCD onto the parallel line AB.
• From point E, erect an ordinate in such a way that EF = OC
(radius of the polar curve).
• Similarly, from line AB, ordinates equal to the corresponding
radius on the polar curve are erected such as IJ = OG, MN =
OK, BR = OP, and so on.
Rousseau's curve
can either be determined on a graph paper or found by Simpson's
rule.
 Measuring Apparatus: PHOTOMETRY

Photometry
 Branch of science that deals with measurement of the intensity of light
 The measurement of candle power or luminous intensity of a given source
in a particular direction can be measured by the comparison with a
standard source employing photometer bench and some form of
photometer.
These measurements involve comparing the test lamp with
standard lamp.
a. By varying the position of comparison lamp (standard lamp),
Is
b. By varying the position of the test lamp, IT
c. By varying the position of the screen
Measurement is complete when the bench is balanced. It is
balanced when two sides of the screen are equally bright [in a
Dark Room] as shown in figure
Principle of simple photometer
• The photometer bench essentially consists of two steel rods with (2-3)m
long. This bench carries stands or saddles for holding two sources (test and
standard lamps), the carriage for the photometer head and any other
apparatus employed in making measurements. One of the steel rods carries
a brass strip with graduated scale in mm. The photometer bench should be
rigid so that the source being compared may be free from vibration. The
photometer head should be capable of moving smoothly and the
photometer head acts as screen for the comparison of the illumination of
the standard lamp and the test lamp.
• The photometer head or screen is moved in
between the two fixed sources until the
illumination on both the sides of the screen is
same. If the distances of standard source S
and lamp source under test L from
photometer head are L1 and L2. Apply inverse
square law:
Measuring Apparatus
 Goniophotometer
• A Goniophotometer is a device used for
measurement of the light emitted from an object at
different angles
• It can also measure the properties of the light emitted
by the light source
• It is based on the principle of a photometer with a
revolving arm that is fitted with a circular mirror.
Light is continuously fed to this mirror through
different angles (as the arm rotates) which provides
information about the luminous flux, intensity
distribution, and efficiency of the source.
Goniophotometer
Integrating sphere