Ben Carter
Lux and foot candles are both units used to measure illuminance or the amount of light received per unit area. While 1 lux is equal to 1 lumen per square meter, 1 foot-candle is equal to 1 lumen per square foot. This means that 1 foot-candle is equivalent to 10.764 lux. Lux is the metric measurement, while foot-candles are the imperial measurement.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Lux measurement | 1 lux = 1 lumen per square meter |
| Foot candles measurement | 1 foot candle = 1 lumen per square foot |
| Lux to Foot candles conversion | Divide lux value by 10.76391 or 10.764 |
| Foot candles to Lux conversion | Multiply foot candle value by 10.76391 or 10.764 |
| Lux quantifies amount of light in | One square meter |
| Foot candles quantifies amount of light in | One square foot |
| Lux | SI-derived unit |
| Foot candles | US customary unit |
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What You'll Learn
Lux and foot candles are both units of illuminance
To convert lux to foot candles, we divide the lux value by the conversion factor derived from the square meters to square feet ratio. So, since one square meter equals 10.76391 square feet, one lux is equal to approximately 10.764 foot candles (often rounded to 10). This means that for every 10 lux, there is one foot-candle.
Lux is the internationally accepted illuminance unit used worldwide, while foot candles are used mainly in the United States. Foot-candles are a common unit of measurement used by architects to calculate adequate lighting levels and are also used in the museum and gallery fields in the US, where lighting levels must be carefully controlled to conserve light-sensitive objects.
When evaluating lighting technology, it is important to understand the terminology and differences between traditional and LED lighting technologies. Lumens, which measure the total amount of light emitted from a source, are the most common measurement you'll see when shopping for LED lighting. The higher the lumens, the brighter the source will appear. However, as lighting technology changes, the standard measurement of "brightness" for traditional lighting technologies isn't always useful in determining how much light you need with today's LED technology.
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Lux is the metric measurement, foot candles are imperial
When it comes to lighting, understanding the difference between Lux and foot candles is essential, especially when designing lighting setups, calculating illumination levels, or assessing the efficiency of light sources. Lux is the metric measurement, while foot candles are imperial.
Lux is the internationally accepted unit of illuminance used worldwide. It quantifies the amount of light in one square meter. In other words, one lux represents the illuminance of one lumen per square meter. So, if you have a light source emitting a certain number of lumens, the lux value tells you how much of that light is falling on a surface one square meter in size. This makes Lux a useful measurement for assessing the amount of light falling on a specific point or object.
On the other hand, foot candles are an imperial unit of measurement primarily used in the United States. Foot candles express the amount of light in one square foot. So, one foot-candle is equivalent to one lumen per square foot. This unit is particularly useful in architecture, museums, galleries, and cinematography in the US, where lighting levels need to be carefully controlled. For example, in museums, lighting must be managed to conserve light-sensitive objects such as paintings and photographs, which can fade when exposed to bright light over time.
The relationship between Lux and foot candles is straightforward. Since one square meter is approximately 10.76391 square feet, it follows that one foot-candle is equal to approximately 10.764 lux. So, to convert from foot candles to lux, you simply multiply the foot-candle value by this conversion factor. Conversely, to convert from lux to foot candles, you divide the lux value by the same factor.
Understanding these distinctions between Lux and foot candles is crucial when working with lighting technology. While foot candles are an imperial measurement, Lux is the metric system's illuminance unit, widely accepted and used around the globe.
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1 foot candle = 10.76 lux
Lighting terminology can be confusing, with terms like lumens, lux, and foot-candles being used interchangeably. However, these terms refer to distinct measurements of light. Lumens (lm) are the most common measurement for LED lighting and refer to the total amount of light emitted from a source. The higher the lumens, the brighter the source will appear.
Foot-candles and lux, on the other hand, are measurements of illuminance, or the amount of light falling on a surface. Specifically, one foot-candle is the amount of light that falls on a surface one foot away from a single candle. In metric terms, one foot-candle is equivalent to approximately 10 lux. More precisely, 1 foot-candle is equal to 10.76 lux. This means that for every lumen of light falling on a square foot, there are 10.76 lumens falling on a square meter.
The difference between foot-candles and lux is simply a matter of measurement systems, with foot-candles being an Imperial unit and lux being its metric equivalent. This is similar to the relationship between inches and centimeters or pounds and kilograms. In the context of lighting, the term "candle" in foot-candle refers to a traditional candle as an early source of light.
Light meters are often used to quantify illuminance in either foot-candles or lux. These meters have sensors that can measure the amount of light on a specific surface or at a particular height. However, determining the appropriate lighting layout to achieve a desired level of illuminance at a certain height can be complex, requiring calculations that take into account various factors such as the size of the area, the height of the light fixture, and the light output of each fixture.
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Lux is used internationally, foot candles in the US
Lux and foot candles are both units used to measure illuminance, or the amount of light received per unit area. One lux is defined as one lumen per square meter, while one foot-candle is defined as one lumen per square foot. This means that a foot-candle is equivalent to approximately 10 lux.
Lux is the internationally accepted unit for illuminance and is used worldwide. Foot candles, on the other hand, are used mainly in the United States. In the US lighting industry, foot-candles are a common unit of measurement used by architects to calculate adequate lighting levels. They are also used in museums and galleries, where lighting levels must be carefully controlled to conserve light-sensitive objects such as paintings and photographs. In the motion picture cinematography field in the US, incident light meters measure the number of foot-candles present, which are then used to set up proper lighting-contrast ratios.
The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) has set guidelines for determining the amount of lumens needed to light various rooms in a house. These guidelines can be useful for establishing optimal lighting requirements in terms of foot-candles.
The distinction between lux and foot candles is important when designing lighting setups, calculating appropriate illumination levels, or assessing the efficiency of light sources. For example, when determining lighting requirements, it is necessary to consider both the lumens and the specific placement of light sources to achieve the desired illumination level.
In summary, while both lux and foot candles measure the amount of light falling on a specific point or object, they differ in their units of measurement and their prevalence in different regions. Lux is used internationally as the standard unit for illuminance, while foot candles are predominantly used in the United States for various lighting applications.
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Lux measures light per square meter, foot candles per square foot
The lux and the foot-candle are both units of illuminance or light intensity. However, they differ in their measurement systems. Lux is a metric measurement defined as one lumen per square meter, while the foot-candle is an imperial unit defined as one lumen per square foot. In other words, a lux measures light per square meter, whereas a foot-candle measures light per square foot.
The foot-candle is a non-SI unit commonly used in lighting layouts in parts of the world where United States customary units are used, mainly in the United States. It is defined as the illuminance of the inside surface of a one-foot-radius sphere with a point source of one candela at its center. Alternatively, it can be defined as the illuminance of one lumen on a one-square-foot surface with a uniform distribution. Given the relationship between candela and lumen, these two definitions are identical, with the latter being easier to relate to in some everyday situations.
On the other hand, lux is the corresponding SI-derived unit used in most parts of the world. It is defined as one lumen per square meter. Lux measures the illuminance or amount of light falling on a surface. Since lux and foot-candles are fundamentally measuring the same thing, they can be converted between each other. One foot-candle is equal to approximately 10.764 lux, so to convert foot-candles to lux, you divide by this number.
The difference in the units being measured by lux and foot-candles can be illustrated by the amount of light produced by a single candle. A single-foot candle is the amount of light that falls on a surface one foot away from a single candle. Since a foot-candle is defined as one lumen per square foot, this means that a foot-candle is equivalent to 10 lux.
In practical applications, such as measuring room illumination, it is often not necessary to measure illuminance accurately. In these cases, it is sufficient to consider one foot-candle as approximately ten lux. This conversion factor can be used to quickly estimate illuminance in either unit without the need for complex calculations.
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Frequently asked questions
Lux and foot candles are units used to measure illuminance or the amount of light received per unit area.
Lux defines the area being lit as a one-metre square, whereas foot candles define the area as a one-foot square. Lux is the metric measurement and is used internationally, whereas foot candles are the imperial measurement and are used mainly in the United States.
Divide the lux value by the conversion factor derived from the square meters to square feet ratio (10.76391). So, 1 lux is approximately equal to 0.092903 foot candles or 0.1 foot candles to the nearest decimal place.
