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Foot-lambert
View on WikipediaA foot-lambert or footlambert (fL, sometimes fl or ft-L) is a unit of luminance in United States customary units and some other unit systems. A foot-lambert equals 1/π or 0.3183 candela per square foot, or 3.426 candela per square meter (the corresponding SI unit). The foot-lambert is named after Johann Heinrich Lambert (1728–1777), a Swiss-German mathematician, physicist and astronomer. It is rarely used by electrical and lighting engineers, who prefer the candela per square foot or candela per square meter units.
The luminance of a perfect Lambertian diffuse reflecting surface in foot-lamberts is equal to the incident illuminance in foot-candles. For real diffuse reflectors, the ratio of luminance to illuminance in these units is roughly equal to the reflectance of the surface. Mathematically,
- ,
where
- is the luminance, in foot-lamberts,
- is the illuminance, in foot-candles, and
- is the reflectivity, expressed as a fractional number (for example, a grey card with 18% reflectivity would have ).
The foot-lambert is used in the motion picture industry for measuring the luminance of images on a projection screen. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) recommended, in SMPTE 196M, a screen luminance of 16 foot-lamberts for commercial movie theaters, when measured "open-gate" (i.e. with no film in the projector). (Typical base density of 0.05 yields peak white of about 14 fL.) The current revision of SMPTE 196M specifies 55 candela per square meter (nits).
The foot-lambert is also used in the flight simulation industry to measure the highlight brightness of visual display systems. The minimum required highlight brightness varies based on the type and level of Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD), but is generally 3–6 foot-lamberts for most devices qualified under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) regulations.[1][2][3]
Military specifications for illuminated switches, panels, and displays, such as MIL-PRF-22885 and SAE AS7788, also require luminance measurements in foot-lamberts. Luminance levels can vary from hundreds of foot-lamberts for sunlight readable switch displays per MIL-PRF-22885 to only a few foot-lamberts in night conditions for panels in accordance with SAE AS7788.
| cd/m2 (SI unit) ≡ nit ≡ lm/m2/sr |
stilb (sb) (CGS unit) ≡ cd/cm2 |
apostilb (asb) ≡ blondel |
bril | skot (sk) | lambert (L) | foot-lambert (fL) = 1 ⁄ π cd/ft2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cd/m2 | = | 1 | 10−4 | π ≈ 3.142 |
107 π ≈ 3.142×107 |
103 π ≈ 3.142×103 |
10−4 π ≈ 3.142×10−4 |
0.30482 π ≈ 0.2919 | ||
| 1 sb | = | 104 | 1 | 104 π ≈ 3.142×104 |
1011 π ≈ 3.142×1011 |
107 π ≈ 3.142×107 |
π ≈ 3.142 |
30.482 π ≈ 2919 | ||
| 1 asb | = | 1 ⁄ π ≈ 0.3183 |
10−4 ⁄ π ≈ 3.183×10−5 |
1 | 107 | 103 | 10−4 | 0.30482 ≈ 0.09290 | ||
| 1 bril | = | 10−7 ⁄ π ≈ 3.183×10−8 |
10−11 ⁄ π ≈ 3.183×10−12 |
10−7 | 1 | 10−4 | 10−11 | 0.30482×10−7 ≈ 9.290×10−9 | ||
| 1 sk | = | 10−3 ⁄ π ≈ 3.183×10−4 |
10−7 ⁄ π ≈ 3.183×10−8 |
10−3 | 104 | 1 | 10−7 | 0.30482×10−3 ≈ 9.290×10−5 | ||
| 1 L | = | 104 ⁄ π ≈ 3183 |
1 ⁄ π ≈ 0.3183 |
104 | 1011 | 107 | 1 | 0.30482×104 ≈ 929.0 | ||
| 1 fL | = | 1 ⁄ 0.30482 ⁄ π ≈ 3.426 |
1 ⁄ 30.482 ⁄ π ≈ 3.426×10−4 |
1 ⁄ 0.30482 ≈ 10.76 |
107 ⁄ 0.30482 ≈ 1.076×108 |
103 ⁄ 0.30482 ≈ 1.076×104 |
10−4 ⁄ 0.30482 ≈ 1.076×10−3 |
1 | ||
See also
[edit]Other units of luminance:
| Quantity | Unit | Dimension [nb 1] |
Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Symbol[nb 2] | Name | Symbol | ||
| Luminous energy | Qv[nb 3] | lumen second | lm⋅s | T⋅J | The lumen second is sometimes called the talbot. |
| Luminous flux, luminous power | Φv[nb 3] | lumen (= candela steradian) | lm (= cd⋅sr) | J | Luminous energy per unit time |
| Luminous intensity | Iv | candela (= lumen per steradian) | cd (= lm/sr) | J | Luminous flux per unit solid angle |
| Luminance | Lv | candela per square metre | cd/m2 (= lm/(sr⋅m2)) | L−2⋅J | Luminous flux per unit solid angle per unit projected source area. The candela per square metre is sometimes called the nit. |
| Illuminance | Ev | lux (= lumen per square metre) | lx (= lm/m2) | L−2⋅J | Luminous flux incident on a surface |
| Luminous exitance, luminous emittance | Mv | lumen per square metre | lm/m2 | L−2⋅J | Luminous flux emitted from a surface |
| Luminous exposure | Hv | lux second | lx⋅s | L−2⋅T⋅J | Time-integrated illuminance |
| Luminous energy density | ωv | lumen second per cubic metre | lm⋅s/m3 | L−3⋅T⋅J | |
| Luminous efficacy (of radiation) | K | lumen per watt | lm/W | M−1⋅L−2⋅T3⋅J | Ratio of luminous flux to radiant flux |
| Luminous efficacy (of a source) | η[nb 3] | lumen per watt | lm/W | M−1⋅L−2⋅T3⋅J | Ratio of luminous flux to power consumption |
| Luminous efficiency, luminous coefficient | V | 1 | Luminous efficacy normalized by the maximum possible efficacy | ||
| See also: | |||||
- ^ The symbols in this column denote dimensions; "L", "T" and "J" are for length, time and luminous intensity respectively, not the symbols for the units litre, tesla and joule.
- ^ Standards organizations recommend that photometric quantities be denoted with a subscript "v" (for "visual") to avoid confusion with radiometric or photon quantities. For example: USA Standard Letter Symbols for Illuminating Engineering USAS Z7.1-1967, Y10.18-1967
- ^ a b c Alternative symbols sometimes seen: W for luminous energy, P or F for luminous flux, and ρ for luminous efficacy of a source.
References
[edit]Foot-lambert
View on GrokipediaDefinition
Formal Definition
The foot-lambert (symbolized as fL or fl) is a unit of luminance, which quantifies the photometric brightness of a surface or light source in the US customary system of units.[1] It is precisely defined as the luminance produced by a perfectly diffusing (Lambertian) surface that emits or reflects a total luminous flux of 1 lumen per square foot, with the flux distributed uniformly over the hemisphere above the surface.[1] This definition yields the mathematical expression candela per square foot (), or approximately .[1] The relation arises from the fundamental photometric derivation for luminance of a Lambertian surface, given by where is the luminous intensity in candela and is the area in square feet, adjusted by the hemispherical emission factor such that the exitance (flux per unit area) equals .[1]Physical Interpretation
The foot-lambert (fL) serves as a unit of luminance in photometry, quantifying the perceived brightness of a surface resulting from the interaction of incident light with that surface. It specifically represents the luminance achieved by a perfectly diffusing (Lambertian) surface when uniformly illuminated by 1 foot-candle of illuminance, where the surface reflects or transmits light equally in all directions following Lambert's cosine law.[1][7] This unit links directly to human visual perception by measuring luminous intensity per unit projected area in a manner that aligns with the eye's sensitivity to light direction and intensity, particularly under photopic (daylight) conditions where the retina's cone cells dominate brightness sensation. Unlike illuminance, which describes incoming light flux per unit area on a surface, luminance in foot-lamberts characterizes the outgoing light emanating from the surface toward the observer, thus better capturing the subjective experience of brightness.[8][1] For instance, a uniformly reflecting screen receiving 1 lumen per square foot of total luminous flux distributed over the hemispherical field of view would appear 1 fL bright to an observer, illustrating how the unit integrates surface properties and light distribution to model perceived surface glow. This interpretation stems from the formal definition of 1 fL as approximately 1/π candela per square foot, emphasizing its photometric foundation.[7]Unit Equivalents and Conversions
SI Unit Equivalents
The foot-lambert (fL) is equivalent to approximately 3.426 cd/m² in SI units, derived from its definition as 1/π candela per square foot (cd/ft²).[9][10] To perform the conversion, begin with the base definition: 1 fL = \frac{1}{\pi} cd/ft², where \pi ≈ 3.1415926535 yields approximately 0.31831 cd/ft². Next, account for the area unit difference, as 1 ft² = 0.09290304 m² exactly (or equivalently, 1 m² = 10.76391041671 ft²). Thus, multiply the cd/ft² value by the number of square feet per square meter: \frac{1}{\pi} \times 10.76391041671 ≈ 3.426259 cd/m². This process ensures precise bridging between imperial and metric systems for luminance measurements.[11][9] The following table provides conversions for common foot-lambert values, including those relevant to display and projection standards:| Foot-lamberts (fL) | Candela per square meter (cd/m²) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3.426 |
| 10 | 34.26 |
| 16 | 54.82 |
Relation to Other Legacy Units
The foot-lambert (fL) is a legacy unit of luminance in the imperial system, analogous to the lambert (L), a CGS unit defined as the luminance of a perfectly diffusing surface with an intensity of 1/π candela per square centimeter, equivalent to approximately 3183 cd/m².[14] Due to the area scaling between square centimeters and square feet (1 ft² ≈ 929.0304 cm²), the direct conversion is 1 fL = 0.001076391 lambert, or conversely, 1 lambert ≈ 929.0304 fL.[15] This relationship arises because both units incorporate the 1/π factor for Lambertian surfaces but differ in base area units, with the foot-lambert tailored for U.S. engineering practices that favored foot-based measurements in lighting and projection systems.[16] Another related CGS unit is the apostilb (asb), also known as the blondel, defined as the luminance of a perfectly diffusing surface emitting 1/π candela per square meter, or approximately 0.3183 cd/m², making it 0.0001 lambert.[17] The foot-lambert converts to about 10.76391 apostilbs, reflecting the larger square foot area relative to the square meter (1 ft² ≈ 0.092903 m²).[18] In the CGS system, the stilb (sb), defined simply as 1 cd/cm² or 10,000 cd/m², serves as a brighter reference without the 1/π diffusion factor, equating to approximately π lamberts or 2918.64 fL. While the foot-lambert measures luminance (brightness of a surface), it is sometimes contrasted with the foot-candle (fc), an imperial unit of illuminance (light incident on a surface, in lumens per square foot), highlighting the distinction in photometric quantities despite shared imperial roots. The foot-lambert emerged in U.S. engineering to provide a consistent imperial counterpart for luminance calculations in applications like screen brightness, mirroring the foot-candle's role in illuminance.[19]| Unit | Symbol | Equivalent in fL | SI Equivalent (cd/m²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lambert | L | 1 L ≈ 929.0304 fL | ≈ 3183.10 |
| Apostilb | asb | 1 asb ≈ 0.092903 fL | ≈ 0.3183 |
| Stilb | sb | 1 sb ≈ 2918.64 fL | 10,000 |
| Foot-lambert | fL | 1 fL | ≈ 3.426 |
