Luminous Intensity Unit Converter

Value:

From Unit:

To Unit:

1. What is the Luminous Intensity Unit Converter?

Definition: This converter transforms luminous intensity values between various units. Luminous intensity measures the amount of light emitted in a particular direction, typically in candela (cd).

Purpose: Useful in lighting, photometry, and historical light source comparisons for converting units in applications like bulbs, lamps, and optical devices.

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:

candle (international) [c] (Factor: 100)
candle (German) [c (German)] (Factor: 95)
candle (UK) [c (UK)] (Factor: 96)
decimal candle (Factor: 100)
candle (pentane) (Factor: 100)
pentane candle (10 candle power) (Factor: 10)
hefner candle (Factor: 111.11111)
carcel unit (Factor: 10.40583)
bougie decimal (Factor: 100)
lumen/steradian [lm/sr] (Factor: 100)

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 Luminous Intensity Conversion

Luminous intensity conversion is critical for:

Lighting Design: Specifying brightness of light sources.
Photometry: Measuring and comparing light emissions.
Historical Comparisons: Converting obsolete units to modern standards.

4. Using the Converter

Example 1: Convert 1 candle (German) to candle (international):

Input: 1
From Unit: candle (German) [c (German)] (factor: 95)
To Unit: candle (international) [c] (factor: 100)
Calculation: \( 1 / 95 \times 100 = 1.05263 \)

Result: 1.05263 candle (international)

Example 2: Convert 1 hefner candle to lumen/steradian:

Input: 1
From Unit: hefner candle (factor: 111.1111111)
To Unit: lumen/steradian [lm/sr] (factor: 100)
Calculation: \( 1 / 111.1111111 \times 100 = 0.9 \)

Result: 0.9 lumen/steradian

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is luminous intensity?
A: Luminous intensity is the luminous flux emitted per unit solid angle, measured in units like candela (cd).

Q: Why are there different units for luminous intensity?
A: Various historical standards from different countries; modern unit is candela.

Q: How are hefner candle and candela related?
A: One hefner candle is approximately 0.9 candela.

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