Ben Carter
Foot-candles and lux are both units of measurement that quantify the amount of light falling on a specific point or object. One foot-candle is approximately equal to 10.764 lux, so in many practical applications, it is sufficient to consider one foot-candle as about ten lux. Foot-candles are commonly used in the US lighting industry, particularly by architects and in museums and galleries, where lighting levels must be carefully controlled. Lux is the metric measurement, and foot-candles are the imperial measurement.
Characteristics and Values of Foot Candles and Lux
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Foot candles and lux measurement | 1 foot-candle = 10.764 lux (approximately 10 lux) |
| Lux measurement | 1 lux = 0.0929 foot-candles |
| Foot candles application | Used in the US lighting industry, museums, galleries, and cinematography |
| Lux application | Used in the metric system |
| Foot candles in sports lighting | Football stadium: 50 foot-candles; Soccer stadium: 50 foot-candles; Tennis court: 30 foot-candles |
| Lux in sports lighting | Football stadium: 523.5 lux; Soccer stadium: 523.5 lux; Tennis court: 290.3 lux |
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What You'll Learn
Foot-candles are an Imperial unit, Lux is Metric
Foot-candles and lux are both units used to measure the amount of light falling on a specific point or object. Foot-candles are an Imperial unit, while lux is a Metric unit. One foot-candle is approximately equal to 10.764 lux, so in many practical applications, it is considered sufficient to think of one foot-candle as about ten lux.
In the US, foot-candles are commonly used in various industries, including architecture, museums, galleries, and cinematography. Architects use foot-candles to calculate adequate lighting levels, while museums and galleries use them to conserve light-sensitive objects such as photographs and paintings. Cinematographers employ incident light meters to measure foot-candles, helping them set up proper lighting-contrast ratios during filming.
When it comes to sports lighting, foot-candles are also a crucial consideration. For example, a tennis court typically requires about 30 foot-candles on average, while a high school football or soccer stadium should have an average of 50 foot-candles. However, achieving uniform lighting is more important than solely focusing on high foot-candle values, as a single bright light can create excessive shadows and inconsistencies.
To determine the optimal lighting requirements, guidelines have been set by organisations such as the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES). These guidelines help individuals and industries decide on the appropriate foot-candle values for their specific applications, ensuring that lighting is neither too bright nor too dim.
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1 foot-candle = 10.764 lux
Foot-candles and lux are both units of measurement that quantify the amount of light falling on a specific point or object. Foot-candles are the Imperial measurement, while lux is the Metric equivalent.
One foot-candle is equal to 10.764 lux. In practical applications, such as measuring room illumination, the accuracy required is usually within 10%. In these cases, one foot-candle can be approximated to ten lux. This is commonly used by architects in the US lighting industry to calculate lighting levels.
Foot-candles are also used in museums and galleries in the US to maintain careful control over lighting levels. This is important for conserving light-sensitive objects like prints, photographs, and paintings, which can be damaged by prolonged exposure to bright light. Cinematographers also use foot-candles to determine the intensity of motion picture lights, allowing them to set up proper lighting-contrast ratios during filming.
In sports lighting, foot-candles are a crucial consideration. For example, a tennis court typically requires about 30 foot-candles on average for recreational or minor competitions. Higher-level competitions may need 40-50 foot-candles. Football and soccer stadiums have similar requirements, with high school stadiums averaging 50 foot-candles and college or high-level competitions requiring 75-100 foot-candles.
Understanding the relationship between foot-candles and lux is essential for determining the optimal lighting requirements for different applications, whether it's for a comfortable work environment, preserving valuable artefacts, or ensuring the perfect lighting conditions for a sports event or film production.
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Foot-candles are used by architects and in museums/galleries
Foot-candles are a unit of measurement used to quantify light intensity. One foot-candle is defined as enough light to saturate a one-foot square with one lumen of light. In other words, foot-candles measure the amount of light that reaches a surface area. Foot-candles are the Imperial measurement, while lux is the Metric measurement. One foot-candle is equal to 10.764 lux.
Foot-candles are used by architects to achieve the desired lighting levels for various tasks and ambiances. Different activities and spaces require different levels of illuminance. For instance, tasks that require detailed work, such as reading or surgery, need higher foot-candle levels compared to general ambient lighting in a living room. Architects use foot-candles to create spaces that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Foot-candles are also important in museums and galleries to create the right ambiance and avoid damaging sensitive artifacts. Museums and galleries need specific light levels, and foot-candles help ensure that the desired light levels are achieved.
In addition, foot-candles are used in horticulture to ensure that plants receive the appropriate amount and type of light. Movie and video producers also use foot-candles to check the lighting on subjects they are shooting.
Overall, foot-candles are a crucial metric in architectural lighting design and in industries where specific light levels are required, such as museums, galleries, and horticulture. By understanding and applying foot-candles, designers and other professionals can ensure that their lighting designs meet the necessary standards for functionality, aesthetics, and performance.
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Sports lighting often requires 20-50 foot-candles
Foot-candles are most commonly used in places that follow the United States customary units of measurement. In other parts of the world, such as Europe, the SI-derived unit "lux" is used. Lux is a measure of the amount of light falling on a one-meter square area, whereas foot-candles measure the amount of light falling on a one-foot square area. Therefore, to convert from lux to foot-candles, you divide by 10.764.
The number of foot-candles required for sports lighting varies depending on the sport and the level of competition. For example, baseball and softball fields have different lighting needs for the infield and outfield, with higher light levels required for the infield where most of the action occurs. Professional and college baseball games require 100-150 foot-candles for infields and 70-100 foot-candles for outfields. High school games can function with 50-75 foot-candles for the infield and 30-50 for the outfield, while recreational play typically needs 30-50 foot-candles for the infield and 20-30 for the outfield.
Tennis courts demand precise and uniform lighting due to the small, fast-moving ball. Professional tennis matches require 100-150 foot-candles, while recreational play needs about 50-75 foot-candles. Basketball courts also have different lighting requirements for indoor and outdoor courts, with professional indoor games requiring 100-150 foot-candles and outdoor courts typically needing 30-50 foot-candles.
The reflective properties of playing surfaces also affect the required foot-candle levels. Darker surfaces absorb more light, requiring higher initial foot-candle levels, while lighter surfaces reflect more light and may need fewer fixtures. Additionally, external light sources and ambient light levels can impact the perceived brightness of a sports field, with light pollution in urban areas reducing contrast and rural areas potentially causing issues with glare and player comfort.
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Lumens are difficult to measure
Lumens are a measure of the total amount of light emitted by a source. Traditional light bulbs emit light in all directions, so the number of lumens emitted by a light bulb is measured by the amount of light emitted in all directions around the bulb. However, LED light fixtures are designed to emit light in a particular direction, so the number of lumens emitted by an LED light fixture is measured by the amount of light directed towards the work surface. This makes it difficult to compare the number of lumens emitted by different types of light fixtures, as the directionality of LED lights makes them much more efficient in delivering lumens to a work surface than traditional omnidirectional light sources.
Furthermore, the number of candelas or lumens emitted by a light source depends on its spectrum, via the nominal response of the human eye as represented in the luminosity function. The luminosity function is a model of the human eye's sensitivity to various wavelengths, and it is used to weight the luminous flux according to the eye's perceived power of the light emitted. This means that the same light source will have a different lumen value depending on who is perceiving it, further complicating comparisons of lumen values between light sources.
Another challenge in measuring lumens arises when trying to determine the lighting layout required to achieve a certain number of foot-candles at a specific height. This involves calculating various factors such as the size of the area to be illuminated, the mounting height of the light fixture, the beam angle, the number of fixtures, and the amount of light each fixture produces. While photometric software and light meters can assist in these calculations, determining the lighting layout remains a complex task that requires careful consideration of multiple variables.
Additionally, the lumen value of a light source can vary depending on its spectrum and the human eye's response to different wavelengths of light. This means that the same light source may have different lumen values when measured using different techniques or instruments. For example, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has established a standardized procedure for testing projectors that involves averaging measurements taken at different positions, resulting in more accurate lumen measurements compared to other methods used in the projector industry. As a result, projectors that have been tested according to the ANSI procedure are marketed with "ANSI lumens" to distinguish them from those tested by other methods.
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Frequently asked questions
Foot candles and lux are both units of measurement that quantify the amount of light falling on a specific point or object.
1 foot-candle is equal to approximately 10.764 lux. In practical applications, it is often sufficient to consider 1 foot-candle as about 10 lux.
Sports applications usually require 20-50 foot-candles. For example, a tennis court requires about 30 foot-candles on average for recreational or minor competition, and 40-50 for higher-level competition. A football or soccer stadium requires an average of 50 foot-candles for high school level and 75-100 for college or high-level competition.
The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) has set guidelines to help determine the amount of lumens needed to light various rooms. Photometric software can also be used to calculate the lighting design layout and specification.
A foot-candle equals one lumen per square foot. A higher number of lumens indicate brighter light, while a lower number of lumens represent dimmer lighting.
