Luminance Unit Converter

Value:

From Unit:

To Unit:

1. What is the Luminance Unit Converter?

Definition: This converter transforms luminance values between various units. Luminance measures the amount of light emitted from or reflected by a surface per unit area in a given direction, typically in candela per square meter (cd/m²).

Purpose: Useful in lighting design, display technology, and photometry for converting units in applications like screens, lamps, and visual perception studies.

2. How Does the Converter Work?

The converter uses conversion factors relative to an arbitrary base (consistent with provided scaling):

Input value is converted to the base by dividing by the "From" unit's factor.
The result is converted to the "To" unit by multiplying by the "To" unit's factor.

Supported units:

candela/square meter (Factor: 10000000000000000)
candela/square centimeter (Factor: 1000000000000)
candela/square foot (Factor: 929030400000840)
candela/square inch (Factor: 6451600000000)
kilocandela/square meter (Factor: 10000000000000)
stilb [sb] (Factor: 1000000000000)
lumen/sq. meter/steradian (Factor: 10000000000000000)
lumen/sq. cm/steradian (Factor: 1000000000000)
lumen/square foot/steradian (Factor: 929030400000840)
watt/sq. cm/steradian (at 555 nm) (Factor: 1464128843.3382)
nit [nt] (Factor: 10000000000000000)
millinit [mnt] (Factor: 10000000000000000000)
lambert [L] (Factor: 3141592653589.7998)
millilambert [mL] (Factor: 3141592653589800)
foot-lambert [fL] (Factor: 2918635079604200)
apostilb (Factor: 31415926535898000)
blondel (Factor: 31415926535898000)
bril (Factor: 314159265358979996319744)
skot (Factor: 31415926535898001408)

Steps:

Enter the value to convert.
Select the "From" unit (the unit of the input value).
Select the "To" unit (the desired output unit).
Submit to perform the conversion.
Results are formatted to 5 decimal places, with scientific notation for values less than 0.001.

3. Importance of Luminance Conversion

Luminance conversion is critical for:

Optics: Analyzing light sources and displays.
Photography: Adjusting exposure and brightness.
Engineering: Designing lighting systems and screens.

4. Using the Converter

Example 1: Convert 1 candela/square centimeter to candela/square meter:

Input: 1
From Unit: candela/square centimeter (factor: 1000000000000)
To Unit: candela/square meter (factor: 1.0E+16)
Calculation: \( 1 / 1000000000000 \times 1.0E+16 = 10000 \)

Result: 10000 candela/square meter

Example 2: Convert 1 stilb [sb] to nit [nt]:

Input: 1
From Unit: stilb [sb] (factor: 1000000000000)
To Unit: nit [nt] (factor: 1.0E+16)
Calculation: \( 1 / 1000000000000 \times 1.0E+16 = 10000 \)

Result: 10000 nit

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is luminance?
A: Luminance is the measure of the luminous intensity per unit area of a surface in a given direction, measured in units like candela per square meter (cd/m²).

Q: Why are there different units for luminance?
A: Different systems (SI, CGS, imperial) and historical reasons lead to various units used in specific fields.

Q: How are nit and candela per square meter related?
A: Nit (nt) is another name for candela per square meter (cd/m²); they are equivalent.

Q: Can this converter be used for all luminance scenarios?
A: Yes, it converts units of luminance, applicable to any scenario involving luminance measurements.