Light Sources and Its

Characteristic

Rima Fitria Adiati

Introduction : Photometry vs. Radiometry
• Radiometry - is the measurement of optical radiation
λ = 10 nm – 1 mm
ν = 3×1011– 3×1016 Hz

• Photometry - is the measurement of light, which is electromagnetic

radiation detectable by the human eye
λ = 390 nm – 780 nm
ν = 7.7×1014– 3.8×1014 Hz

• In Photometry, all radiometrical quantities is weighted through V(λ)

function, which correspond to the sensitivity of human eye
 Luminous Flux Luminous Energy
• Also known as luminous power • Also known as luminous power
• Total energy emitted by a multipled by time of emission
source for a unit time to every • Total energy emitted by a
direction source to every direction
• Units : Lumen (lm) • Units : Lumen.second (lm.s)
• Symbol : ϕ • Symbol : Q

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 Luminous Intensity Illuminance
• Luminous flux per unit solid • Also known as luminous flux
angle density
• “Light intensity” at certain • Density of light incident at a
direction surface
• Units : lm/sr or Candela • Units : Lm/m2 or Lux
𝑑𝜙 𝑑𝜙
• Symbol : 𝐼 = • Simbol : E=
𝑑Ω 𝑑𝐴

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 Luminous Exitance Luminance
• The opposite of Illuminance • Intensity of light projected to
• Density of light emitted from a the eye from a surface
surface • Showing “how bright” a surface
• Units Lm/m2 or Lux is
𝑑𝜙 • Units : Candela/m2
• Simbol : M= 𝐼
𝑑𝐴
• Simbol : L =
𝐴

Eye

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The Units

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Sources of Light
Sources of Light
• All objects that we see are sources of
light, even if they do not produce light
themselves.
• Objects that produce light are said to
be luminous.
• Sun, burning candle, light bulb, flash
of lightning.
Non-Luminous Objects
• Most objects do not produce light on
their own. Objects are able to be seen
because light reflects (bounces off) them
to our eyes.
• Colored liquids and stained glass
windows allow light to pass through
them and this allows us to see the
objects.
• Objects that we see because light reflects
from them or passes through them are
called non-luminous sources of light.
• Non-luminous objects are sometimes
referred to as illuminated objects.
Luminous Sources of Light
• Luminous Sources of Light can
be both natural and artificial.
• Natural sources of light are
those that produce light without
human intervention.
• Sun, Northern Lights, glow of
red-hot lava
• Artificial sources of light
are those that are
produced and controlled
by humans.
• Car headlights, neon
signs, flashlights,
televisions

• Some sources of light,

such as burning wood,
may be classified as both
natural and artificial.
How Light is Produced
• Light is produced when other forms of energy (heat or chemical) are
converted into light energy.
• Luminous objects produce light are:
• Incandescence
• Electric Discharge (Tube Lamps / Neon lamp)
• Fluorescence and Phosphorescence
• Chemiluminescence
• Light Emitting Diode (LED)
Incandescence
• When steel is heated to
temperatures over 2000 degrees
Celsius, it gives off white light.
• A substance that gives off light
because it has been heated to a
high temperature is called
incandescent.
• Some substances are heated to
incandescence when they are
rubbed (friction).
• Substances can be heated to
incandescence by electricity.
• The light from a household light
bulb is produced by heating a fine
coil of tungsten wire (filament)
until the temperature rises and
gives off a bright light.
• These bulbs are called
incandescent bulbs.
• Toasters and ovens also become
incandescent when heated.
Did you know that…
• The space inside an incandescent light bulb is
filled with nitrogen or argon.
• If the space was filled with oxygen, the gas
would react with the hot filament.
• The electrical foot contact is connected to a
power source. This is made of metal so it can
conduct electricity.
• The insulation makes sure that the power stays
inside the bulb and doesn't seep out.
• The inert gas, along with the support wires,
actually make the light in the bulb once it's
powered up.
• Substances may also be
heated to
incandescence using
chemical energy.
• When wood, wax,
kerosene, or oil is
burned, energy is given
off in the form of light
and heat because of a
chemical reaction.
Gas discharge Lamps
• When an electric current is passed
through a gas, light is sometimes
produced.
• A natural occurrence of this is
lightning produced during a
thunderstorm.
• Another natural example of this is
the Aurora Borealis (Northern
Lights).
 • An artificial way of
producing light by passing
an electric current through a
gas is Neon Lights. Other
gases are used to produce
different colors.

Sodium vapour lamps produce an intense Mercury vapour lamps are very bright and
light and is often used to illuminate are used to light hockey rinks and sports
streets and highways. stadiums.
Fluorescence
• Fluorescence occurs when an
object absorbs ultraviolet light
and immediately releases the
energy as visible light.
• A fluorescent light makes use of
both electric discharge and
fluorescence.
How it works :
• There is a stream of electrons flowing between the electrodes at both ends
of the fluorescent bulb.
• The electrons interact with mercury vapor atoms floating inside the bulb.
• The mercury atoms become excited, and when they return to an unexcited
state they release photons of light in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum.
• These ultraviolet photons
collide with the phosphor
coating the inside of the
bulb, and the phosphor
creates visible light.
• A fluorescent tube is much more efficient than a regular incandescent light
bulb.
• Fluorescent tube is also called low pressure discharge lamp (pressure inside
tube 130 Pa)
• About 20% of the electrical energy used in a fluorescent light is converted to
visible light, but only 5% of the electrical energy used in an incandescent
bulb is converted to visible light.
• If you place you hand near a fluorescent tube, it feels cool. If you place you
hand near an incandescent bulb, it feels warm.
• Depending on active medium the lifetime is from 250 h
• (neon, xenon) to 5000 h (Hg(Ar))
• Ignition voltage: 2000 V (3.2 kV*)
• Running voltage: ~10 V
• Frequency: 180 KHz*
• Current: 10 or 18 mA (300 mA*) *cathode
Phosphorescent
• When a fluorescent tube is switched off, no
more UV light is produced and the coating
stops giving off light.
• Some fluorescent substances though,
continue to give off light for hours after the
energy source has been removed. These
substances are called phosphorescent.
• Luminous dials on watches, glow in the
dark objects and similar items are made of
phosphorescent materials.
Chemiluminescence
• Light can be the result from the
energy released in chemical
reactions. The products of the
chemical reaction give off visible
light. This process is called
chemiluminescence.
 Arc Lamps
• Light is generated by a discharge arc burning in gas between
two electrodes
• High pressure discharge lamp
• Brightest light sources discounting lasers
• Benefits :
• high output in the UV-VIS for spectrofotometer
• small radiating arc region
• Because the arc region is very small these lamps come very
close to the ideal of a point source
• For ignition high voltage pulses between 30-40 kV is needed
• Operating voltage is below 100V, typ 5-40 V
• Depending on power, the needed current varies from 5 to 50 A
• The lamp bulbs are always made of few millimeter thick quartz glass
quartz glass can withstand the high mechanical load caused by the operating
pressure of some tens of bars and the thermal load at surface temperatures of
over 700°C.
• The electrodes are always made of tungsten
• The cathode is small with a relatively sharp tip to enhance the
emission of electrons.
• The anode receives the electrons emitted by the cathode. It is
therefore is bigger to keep its temperature as low as possible to
ensure a long lamp life.
• The anode-cathode gap can be from 0,25 mm to several mm,
depending on lamp power
• Xenon/Argon as medium and Mercury vapor are two examples