Light is simply necessary for every person to have a great mood and mental health. Thanks to it, we get the opportunity to see objects, distinguish their shape and structure of materials, because artificial extension daylight hours allows you to increase efficiency and productivity. When choosing fixtures and lamps for yourself, do not forget that the light must be selected correctly. Indoors for various purposes A variable approach to lighting intensity is acceptable. And in order to choose the right lamps, you need to know how light is measured.

and artificial

All human health experts unanimously declare that the best source of light for people is a natural light source. It promotes the production of a number of vitamins and microelements in the body, and is also most beneficial for the eyes. Every object can be seen in natural light without distortion or glare.

But unfortunately, modern world dictates its conditions, and we can no longer do without artificial light sources in the dark, otherwise the life of cities would come to a complete stop. Each apartment contains a lot various lamps, quite often we have no idea how light is measured and what we need to pay attention to in the store when buying a variety of sconces, floor lamps and lampshades.

What kind of light is there?

No less important than the selection of light intensity is the category or type of lighting. As we have already said, the most pleasant and safe light is a natural source of lighting. It has a warm tint and is least harmful to the eyes. The closest thing to a similar tone were old incandescent lamps with a reddish tint luminous flux. They did not irritate the eyes and copied the sunlight entering the apartment windows.

Modern lamps have many variations in the working element and type of light. Before purchasing a new lamp, be sure to check what type of light is indicated on the packaging. For example, warm light will be ideal for residential premises. And neutral is usually used in offices and large industrial premises. Cold light is often used in watchmaking workshops, where its bluish tint helps to distinguish small parts. Cold shades of light are also welcome in subtropical countries, where they create a feeling of additional coolness and transparency of the air.

Based on the above, you can always choose the right type of light bulb that will create the desired mood and level of comfort in a relaxing home atmosphere. Psychologists have proven that the type of light plays a serious role in shaping the working mood in enterprises. Naturally, labor productivity also depends on this.

What parameters are used to measure light intensity?

The average buyer does not even think about how light is measured and how much it is important information. After all, light, being measured, is measured according to many quantitative and qualitative parameters. They must be taken into account when planning renovations in the apartment and counting the number of light bulbs needed for each room.

Light can be measured according to the following characteristics:

• intensity;
• strength;
• brightness

You won’t be able to determine all the necessary parameters just by eye, so you should take care of purchasing devices that will help you maintain your vision and a positive psychological attitude at any time of the day.

How is the brightness of light measured?

Brightness is a very important characteristic of a light source. It is the brightness of the lighting that allows us to see all the objects around us clearly and in contrast. Brightness enhances spatial perception and exposure of whites and blacks. In addition, it is the brightness of the light source that determines the degree of comfort when reading printed text, and this, as is known, directly affects eye health.

If we are talking about brightness, then remembering in what units light is measured is very easy. The candela is most often used to measure the brightness of a light source. This unit denotes the brightness of one candle, and it is from this unit that all measuring instruments are based. Sometimes experts also use other units of measurement - lambert and apostilbe.

What device can measure the brightness of lighting?

Modern specialized equipment stores are always ready to provide customers with a large variety of instruments for measuring light brightness. Brightness meters and colorimeters do the job best. They are able to give you information not only on the degree of brightness in a particular room, but also determine color temperature rooms.

Devices with advanced functionality are suitable for professional photographers involved in studio shooting. And for household needs, a regular brightness meter that does not have additional options is suitable.

In what

Luminous Intensity - According to school course In physics, it can be described as light energy that can be transferred from one point to another in a certain period of time. This energy can change direction depending on the given trajectory.

Light energy is measured in candelas. That is, having bought for home use brightness meter, you can always measure not only the brightness, but also the intensity of light.

Light intensity: what is it measured in?

Light intensity is often called illuminance and is also important when choosing luminaires and various types lamps Even a child can remember how light intensity is measured, although some nuances should be taken into account here.

If we are talking about falling on a certain surface, then it is necessary to measure in lumens. But if you want to find out the degree of illumination of objects or surfaces, you need to talk about lux.

Such subtleties often frighten buyers who have heard somewhere that light is measured in lumens, and are perplexed by the incomprehensible units of measurement indicated on the packaging of the light bulb. A very common device - a lux meter - will help you cope with the problem of determining the degree of illumination in a room.

Luxometer - a device that preserves healthy vision

If you have difficulty remembering in what units light is measured, then a lux meter will save your time and nerve cells. This device has small size and weight, most often it consists of a display and a measuring part.

You can use this assistant at home, in educational institutions or office premises. To obtain data, you just need to turn on the light source and take measurements. Within a few seconds you will see the result on the display, which will show how safe your light bulbs and lamps are for the eyes.

for apartments and other residential premises

In order to choose lighting that is comfortable for the eyes, it is not enough to know how light is measured. You also need to have information about lighting standards, which you should use when planning the location of lighting fixtures in the apartment.

Each room and space has its own required level of illumination, which is measured in lux. For example, the children's room should be the most illuminated room in the apartment. There cannot be less than two hundred suites here, otherwise the baby’s health will be at great risk.

The kitchen and other rooms can be illuminated with one hundred and fifty lux, but utility rooms and corridors can get by with fifty lux. Compliance with these standards guarantees your family a comfortable existence, excellent mood and vision that even an eagle will envy.

If you care about your family, you should know exactly what light bulbs are installed in the lamps in your apartment. After all, every sane person dreams of returning from work to a home where cheerful children and a caring wife in a good mood are waiting for him. And an important role in making the dream finally become a reality is played by well-chosen lighting.

Poor lighting in premises, a workplace or a room in an apartment negatively affects human health, reduces concentration, performance, irritability and mental disturbances. Very bright light is also an irritant and does not provide anything positive for a person.

Therefore, it is necessary to ensure normal illumination of the premises, which is regulated by a certain SNiP standard. This requires easy installation appropriate lighting lamps for each room.

Illumination of premises in nominal terms is the flux of light that is emitted onto the surface at right angles per unit area. When light falls at an acute angle, the illumination decreases depending on the angle of inclination.

Illumination is measured in lux, which is equal to 1 lumen (unit of luminous flux) per m2.

The illumination of the premises directly depends on the strength of the light that comes from the source. The greater the distance from the light source to the surface, the lower the illumination parameter.

Norms

Each type of room has its own lighting standards. For example, for a grocery store, the highest pulsation value is set to 15%, illumination is 300 lux, but for the sporting goods department or building materials the norms are completely different. The rules also establish certain permissible illumination for clinics, kindergartens, car services and other facilities.

Example of illumination calculation

Let's determine the required lighting for the bedroom. The bedroom area is 25 m2. The value of the norm according to the rules for rooms of this type is multiplied by the area: 150 x 22 = 3300 lux. The total luminous flux of lighting devices at this level of illumination must be at least 3300 lumens.

Now all that remains is to choose the right lighting lamps for the bedroom. When choosing, you can, for example, purchase three such 12-watt lamps. This will ensure the creation of a luminous flux of 3600 lumens, as can be seen from the table values.

This calculation is approximate, since LED bulbs have various parameters light depending on the manufacturer. Thus, you can easily independently calculate the required power and type of lamps to create standardized illumination of any room in accordance with the rules of SNiP.

Instruments for measuring illumination

To measure room illumination, various devices are used, which have their own design features and measurement methods. Let's look at the main devices in more detail.

Luxmeter

Lux meters are divided into electronic and analog, which are no longer produced, and only old samples of such models remain.

This lux meter is used:

• Checking compliance of room illumination with regulatory data.
• Measuring lighting parameters when carrying out work to assess working conditions.
• During electrical installation work to compare illumination indicators with calculations for lighting devices.

The principle of operation of the lux meter is based on the operation of the built-in one, to which the flow of light is directed. In this case, a significant flow of charged particles appears in the photocell. As a result, a flow of electric current appears, the strength of which depends on the strength of the light flux directed at the photocell. Usually this parameter is displayed on the instrument scale.

Types of lux meters

Depending on the location of the sensor that measures room illumination, lux meters are divided into types:

Monoblock (one-piece device) . The sensor is fixed in the device body itself.

Device with remote sensor , connected by a flexible wire.

To produce simple measurements a regular monoblock lux meter is suitable, without auxiliary various functions. To determine several illumination parameters when performing professional calculations, it is necessary to use devices that have an additional set of functions. Such devices have built-in memory and can determine average parameter values.

A significant advantage for a lux meter is the presence of special light filters, which help to more accurately determine the value of the light intensity that comes from lighting devices with different shades colors.

The presence of a remote sensor in the lux meter makes it possible to determine the illumination with greater accuracy, since in this case the influence external factors decreases. Modern models have a liquid crystal display. It makes it much easier to take readings from the device.

Devices for photographic equipment

Photographic equipment uses devices such as exposure meters and exposure meters . They are designed to determine the parameters of brightness and exposure illumination. By determining the values ​​of these indicators, a professional photographer can obtain high-quality photographs.

Exposure meters are divided into types:

• Internal.
• External.

Flash meters

Such devices are designed to measure illumination when photographing. Wherein additional element use pulsed-type lighting devices (photo flashes). In modern camera models, the flash meter is located in the body. It changes the flash output at different light levels.

Professionals use flash meters with a remote sensor; they more accurately determine the illumination.

Photometer

Such a device is called a multimeter. He is more modern model flash meter. Its advantage is the combination of exposure meter and flash meter options.

Light pulsation

The uniformity of the luminous flux of lighting devices leaves much to be desired. The effect, expressed in the presence of fluctuations in the light flux, is not visible to the eye, but its impact on human health is of great importance.

The danger of such light is that it is visually impossible to determine the presence of light pulses. And as a result of their action, sleep may be disturbed, discomfort, depression, weakness, heart failure and other symptoms may occur.

The ripple parameter is its coefficient, which expresses the force of change in the flux of light directed per unit surface area over a period of time. The formula for calculating this coefficient is quite simple. The irradiance ripple factor is determined by the difference between the highest and lowest illuminance for a certain time, divided by twice the average illuminance, and the result is multiplied by 100%.

Sanitary regulations determine the upper limit of the pulsation coefficient. In the workplace it should be no more than 20%, and depends on the degree of responsibility of the employee’s work. The more responsible the work, the lower the lighting pulsation coefficient should be.

For administration premises and offices with intense visual work, this coefficient should not rise above the 5% mark. In this case, the flow of light with a pulsation frequency of up to 300 hertz is taken into account, since there is no point in taking a higher frequency into account, due to the fact that it is not perceived by the human eye and does not have a negative effect.

Determination of lighting pulsation

To determine the pulsation of light, an effective simple device is used that measures the brightness, pulsation and illumination of rooms, and is called a luxmeter-pulsometer-brightness meter.

Device functions

• Measuring the pulsation of light waves that occur when various lighting devices flicker.
• Measuring the lighting pulsation of computer monitors and other screens.
• Determination of room illumination.
• Determining the brightness of lighting devices and monitors.

The principle of operation of the device is to check the lighting level using a photosensor with further signal conversion and displaying the result on a liquid crystal display.

The light pulsation coefficient can be determined using a program on a computer, or you can analyze the measurements yourself. To analyze measurements on a computer, a special program “Ecolight-AP” is used, which works with the device “Ecolight-02”.

Distinctive features of measuring instruments that detect pulsations are sensitivity levels, type of power supply and quality of photosensors.

The highest pulsation coefficient is produced by LED lamps, when using which this parameter sometimes reaches 100%. and have a low pulsation coefficient. Incandescent lamps have a pulsation coefficient of no higher than 25%. In this case, the cost and quality of the lamps do not play a role. Even expensive lamps can produce significant levels of light pulsation.

Methods for reducing lighting pulsation

• The use of lighting devices operating on alternating current with a frequency of more than 400 hertz.
• Installation of lighting fixtures for different phases with a three-phase network.
• Installation of a ballast compensation device () into the lighting device and special connection of offset lamps. The first lamp operates on a lagging current, and the 2nd on a leading current.
• Installation of lamps with electronic ballasts. They are equipped with an electronic ballast that smoothes out ripples and stabilizes the voltage.

If lighting devices in a room are connected to one phase, then connecting them to different phases will be problematic. Therefore, it will be more convenient to purchase luminaires with electronic ballasts. Their advantage is that they comply with all regulations.

Controlling the level of lighting pulsation is necessary for human health, since deviations from the norms lead to disruption of the performance and well-being of employees.

For residential buildings, indoor lighting is also important. The pulsation of light is not visible, but over time its negative impact becomes apparent.

Why measure illumination? It has been proven that bad (or, on the contrary, too good) light through the retina of the eye affects the working processes of the brain. And as a result, the state of a person. Insufficient lighting depresses, performance decreases, and drowsiness appears. Too bright light, on the contrary, excites and helps to connect additional resources of the body, causing their increased wear and tear.

Measurement of illumination of workplaces is carried out together with measurements of noise levels, dust and pollution, vibration - in accordance with SanPin (sanitary rules and regulations). Doctors are sure that regular insufficient lighting causes fatigue, decreased visual acuity, and reduces concentration. That is, there are all the prerequisites for an accident.

Bad light also affects other living beings: plants, animals. It is a well-known fact that plants grow poorly without light. But insufficient lighting also affects animals. Consequences: impaired growth and development, decreased productivity, poor weight gain, impaired reproductive function.

What is illumination?

Illumination is the ratio of the luminous flux to the area on which it falls. Moreover, it must fall on this plane exactly perpendicularly. Measured in lux, lux. One lux is equal to the ratio of one lumen to one square meter surfaces. Lumen is a unit of measurement of luminous flux. This is in the system of international units. In England and America, the units used to measure illumination are lumens per square foot. Or footcandle. This is the illuminance from a light source of one candela at a distance of one foot from the surface.

In Europe there is a standard for lighting workspaces. Here are some recommendations from it: lighting in an office where you don’t need to look at small details should be about 300 lux. If the work process during the day takes place at the computer or involves reading, lighting of about 500 lux is recommended. The same lighting is expected in meeting rooms. At least 750 lux in areas where technical drawings are prepared or read.

Lighting can be natural or artificial. The sources of natural light are, of course, the sun, the moon (more precisely, the light of the sun reflected by it), the diffused light of the sky (this poetic name is used even in illumination measurement protocols). Sources of artificial lighting are various types, shapes and designs, lamps and fixtures, light from computer and mobile device displays, TV screens, etc.

Based on the name of the unit of illumination (lux), the name of the device with which it is measured is a lux meter. This is a mobile, portable device for measuring illumination, the operating principle of which is identical to a photometer.

A stream of light hitting a photocell releases a stream of electrons in the body of the semiconductor. Thanks to this, the photocell begins to conduct electricity. The magnitude of this current is directly proportional to the illumination of the photocell. It is reflected on the scale. In analog lux meters, the scale is graduated in lux, the result is determined by the deflection of the needle.

Now analogue ones are being replaced by digital devices for measuring illumination. In them, the measurement result is displayed on a liquid crystal display. The measuring part in many of them is located in a separate housing and is connected to the device by a flexible wire. This allows measurements to be taken in hard-to-reach places. Thanks to a set of light filters, the limits of its measurements can be adjusted. In this case, the instrument readings must be multiplied by certain coefficients. The error of the lux meter, according to GOST, should be no more than 10%.

How is illumination measured?

The use of any methods for measuring illumination is impossible without a lux meter. Moreover, the rule is observed: the device is always in a horizontal position. It is installed at the required points. The State Standards contain diagrams of the location of these points and methods for their calculations.

Until recently, in Russia, GOST 24940-96 was used to measure illumination. This is an interstate standard for measuring illumination. This GOST uses concepts such as: illuminance, average, minimum and maximum illuminance, cylindrical illuminance, natural illuminance factor (KEO), safety factor, relative spectral luminous efficiency of monochromatic radiation.

In 2012, Russia introduced its own national standard for measuring illumination, GOST R 54944-2012. In this GOST, the following concepts have been added to those that existed before: emergency lighting, security lighting, working lighting, backup lighting, semi-cylindrical lighting, evacuation lighting. Both GOSTs describe in detail methods for measuring illumination.

Measurements are carried out separately on artificial and natural light. In this case, you need to make sure that no shadow falls on the device, and that there is no source nearby electromagnetic radiation. This will interfere with the results. After all the necessary measurements of illumination have been made, based on the results obtained, using special formulas, the necessary parameters are calculated, and a general assessment is made. That is, the obtained parameters are compared with the standard, and a conclusion is made about whether the illumination of a given room or area is sufficient.

A separate protocol is filled out for each type of measurement in each room or section of the street. An assessment protocol is issued both for each room or territory, and for the entire facility. This is required by GOST. “Illumination measurement” must be carried out according to the rules.

What kind of light do you need?

Research in this area shows that cold light reduces the level of drowsiness and improves concentration. This is explained by suppression by short waves (ultraviolet, Blue colour) melatonin. This is a hormone that regulates circadian rhythms. And if this light is also bright, it will help cope with depression. The main thing is not to overdo it. Otherwise, from one extreme you can end up in the other, causing sleep disturbances. Lighting with cool light should be moderate during the day. And this is with sufficient illumination, which will not force you to strain your eyesight or, conversely, squint.

In the evening, on the contrary, muted light in warm colors is preferable. It promotes relaxation good rest, going to bed. Sharp and bright flashes of light, especially cold tones, should be avoided.

Of course, one-time violations of these rules will not cause serious health problems. But if this happens regularly, problems with impaired body functions cannot be avoided. Such a thing as light only at first glance seems like a trifle. Periodic monitoring of it and measurement of illumination are necessary.

Light is necessary for a person to live normally. It affects almost all aspects of his life, mental state and physiology. If lighting standards are met, the room is pleasant to be in, fatigue occurs more slowly during work. Otherwise, the mood quickly deteriorates, and other signs of the negative impact of the “wrong” light on the eyes and nervous system appear.

What is illumination

Many people confuse illumination with the brightness of lamps, but this is wrong. The same lighting fixture can create different light levels, depending on the area of ​​the room, the height of the lamp, its angle of inclination.

Brightness, or luminous flux, is measured in lumens. This indicator is on the packaging lighting fixture, but, unfortunately, it is not always reliable. Therefore, to choose energy saving lamp It makes sense to take a compact RADEX LUPIN light meter with you to the store. The same device will help measure the illumination of your workplace and rooms at home. The parameter reflects the number of lumens of luminous flux per 1 sq. m of surface. It is very important to prevent non-compliance with established standards.

What are the dangers of too little or too much lighting?

It is known that employees of some shopping centers often complain of watery eyes, fatigue and redness of the eyes. The reason is too bright lighting. On the one hand, it helps buyers take a better look at the product. On the other hand, it harms the health of the visual apparatus of workers who are under such lighting all day long.

When checking light level inspectors make orders only if the indicators do not reach the lower limits of the norm. This is because if the light is too dim, working conditions worsen. A person has difficulty doing work, his eyes get tired quickly, and myopia or farsightedness appears.

However, not only dim, but also excessively bright light is harmful to the visual apparatus. Consequences of prolonged stay in a room with too much light:

• Irritation and redness of the mucous membrane (conjunctiva).
• Feeling of dryness and “powdery” eyes.
• The appearance of irritability.
• Feeling of general discomfort.
• Nervous overexcitation.

It follows from this: it is necessary to monitor not only compliance lighting standards, but also in the absence of a significant excess of the established values.

How measure illumination on one's own

Each of us can provide ourselves comfortable conditions work and rest. In particular, by creating adequate lighting. To do this, you need to install devices that produce light of normal brightness.

Check if it meets the standard light level your room or workplace, will help lux meter RADEX LUPIN. With this device you can always determine the brightness of light in any room. The measurement is simple. Place the light meter on the control surface with the photosensor pointing upward. The parameter value will be displayed on the device monitor in lux (lx).

The RADEX LUPIN lux meter provides correct information, unlike many other models. The error of its measurements does not exceed 10%. The accuracy of the device is ensured by corrective filters that block ultraviolet and infrared rays that are not perceived by the human eye. Since the spectrum of some light sources contains both, illuminance measurement without filters it turns out inaccurate. The RADEX LUPIN lux meter meets the requirements of GOST. Its spectral sensitivity is the same as that of the human eye, so it provides complete, reliable information about the light environment.

Briefly about lighting standards

Lighting in which a person maintains working capacity for a long time and does not notice an unreasonable deterioration in well-being or mood is considered normal. For control lighting standards The Chief State Doctor of the Russian Federation approved special sanitary rules and regulations. The document establishes clear requirements for illumination of premises for various purposes.

Standards for some of them (in suites):

• Bathrooms, bathrooms - 50.
• Sleeping quarters - 100.
• Living rooms and kitchens - 150.
• Gyms - 200.
• Game rooms kindergartens - 200.
• Office rooms - 300.
• Classrooms - 300.
• Library premises - 400
• Doctors' offices and treatment rooms - 500.
• Trading rooms - 500.

The highest requirements are set for premises in which work of the highest precision is carried out. For example, for jewelry, engraving and watchmaking workshops, the illumination level should be 3000 lux. The lighting of storerooms, basements, attics, passage corridors and other rooms with short stays of people (20-30 lux) can be relatively dim.

surface density of luminous flux incident on a unit surface. The unit of O. in the SI system is lux (lx). One lux corresponds to a luminous flux density of one lumen, evenly distributed over an area of ​​1 m2. The functions of the visual analyzer, which affect the quality of information perception, largely depend on O.: visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, speed of distinguishing details, stability of clear vision. For example, visual acuity increases as O. increases to approximately 100 lux; with a further increase in O., visual acuity remains virtually unchanged. The magnitude of O. has a significant impact on the brightness of objects and their contrast with respect to the background. Irrational lighting (weak lighting, insufficient contrast of objects on the working background, uneven distribution of brightness - shadows, shine, etc.) adversely affects the quality of information reception by the operator and negatively affects human vision. At unfavorable conditions lighting may disrupt the functions of the c. n. With. and the development of fatigue, as a result of which a person’s performance decreases. The choice of the type of lighting is also of great importance: artificial or natural, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages (see Interior of the control room). The required amount of O. at the workplace depends on the nature of the work performed in terms of the degree of accuracy (high, medium, low accuracy, rough), smallest sizes object of observation, contrast of the object of observation, type of lighting (artificial or natural). To select the O. value, one should be guided by specially developed O. standards for working surfaces in production premises. For example, when working on computer peripheral devices, office-type equipment, the recommended O. value is from 500 to 1000 lux, when working with measuring instruments, testing and checking electronic equipment, solving surveillance problems - from 300 to 500 lux, with repair work for instrumental purposes - from 1000 to 2000 lux, when making recordings - from 500 to 700 lux. O.'s measurement can be carried out by direct and indirect methods. In the first case, lux meters (type Yu-16, Yu-17) are used for this purpose - portable small-sized devices consisting of a light receiver (selenium photocell), an attachment (absorber) and a recording device. In the second case (with artificial lighting) the total average is determined power density of all light sources in the room (W/m2), which is multiplied by coefficient B, showing how much lux the specific power of the light sources provides. Its magnitude depends on the type of sources. For incandescent lamps it is 2 - 2.5, for fluorescent lamps, the light output of which is higher - from 2.4 to 3.0.