Propagation of Light

Photopic, Scotopic, Mesopic Vision

• Photopic is Cone Vision – 3.5cd/m2
• Scotopic is Rod Vision - <0.035cd/m2
• Mesopic – Transistion between Photopic and Scotopic
Vision (Twilight Vision)
• Purkinje Shift
• The spectral eye sensitivity/ relative spectral
luminous efficacy of human vision
– Ratio of the perceived optical stimulus to the incident
power as a function of wavelength, normalized to unity at
the maximum of the function
Spectral Eye sensitivity
Light Watt
Radiometry & Photometry
 Radiometry
• Measurement of radiant flux or radiant power
• The total power of electromagnetic radiation
(UV,Visible,IR)
• Unit : W or J/s
• Photodiode, IR detector are the receivers or
detectors
 Photometry
• Measurement of visual effect of radiant
energy on a human observer
• The radiant power is weighted by the spectral
response of the human eye
• Human eye is the receiver or detector
 Photometry
• Evaluation of light sources and lighting
conditions with respect to the visual sensation
by the human eye
• This necessitates entirely a different set of units
for measurement of visual perception of light
• Photometric quantities directly relate to the
impression of brightness perceived by the
human eye
 Luminous Flux (ɸ)
• Luminous flux is the concept of total quantity
of light emitted / second by a luminous
source.
• It is the energy radiated by luminous source
/second weighted against the spectral
sensitivity of human eye
• Lumen is the measure of luminous flux = cd.sr
Luminous Flux (ɸ)
 Luminous Flux (ɸ)
780
 v  K m  V    e d
380

• where Φv = lumens ,Φe = watts per

nanometer.
λ = nanometers ,V(λ) = the spectral luminous
efficiency ,Km = the maximum spectral
luminous efficacy in lumens per watt .
• 18W CFL has 900 lumen output
Luminous Intensity (I)
• Luminous Flux in a
certain direction,
radiated per unit of
solid angle
• Candela = lumen /
Steridian
• LED = 25mcd
Illuminance (E)
• Lux = Lumen / meter
square
• Office requires 500 lux
Luminance (L)
• Luminous intensity per
unit surface area of an
emitting source
• Used characterise
brightness of a reflecting
surface
• L=ρE/π
• Moon surface is 2500
nits
• 1 nit = 1 cd / m2
 Luminance (L)
• Luminance is an objective measure of intensity
of light in a given area and it can be measured
by a luminance photometer.
• Brightness of a surface depends not only on
the luminance but also on several factors like
contrast, adaptation of eye, dazzle and colour.
• From a display screen like that of a computer
monitor, the eye perceives its brightness but a
photometer measures its luminance.
 BRIGHTNESS
• Brightness is the visual sensation of luminance
by the human eye
• Brightness is perceived and not measured.
• The human perception of light is evaluated as
dark, dim or bright. Hence it is a subjective
evaluation of luminance.
• Brightness is not a measurable quantity and
therefore has no unit of measurement
 Luminous Exitance (M)
• Luminous exitance is the luminous flux
emitted from a surface per unit area,
measured in units of lumens per square meter
(lm/m2).
• Geometrically equivalent to illuminance,
luminous exitance is not however reported in
lux.
Luminance Contrast
• A dark surface against a
dark background will
appear ‘lighter’ than
when placed against a
light background
 Propagation of light
• Reflection
• Absorption
• Transmission
• Refraction
• Polarization
 Propagation of light
• When a ray of light passing through one
medium arrives at the boundary separating this
from another medium, it may be turned back at
the boundary and this is called the reflection.
• The ray may pass through the boundary to enter
the second medium where a part of it may be
converted to another form of energy and this is
called absorption; and a part of it may pass
through unhindered and is called transmission.
Specular Reflection
• Obeys laws of reflection
• Mirror finished surfaces
Diffuse Reflection
• When the surface is rough
and not smooth the light
rays after reflecting from the
surface diffuse in many
different directions. This is
called diffuse reflection.
Even the diffuse reflection
follows the law of reflection.
• Most surfaces that are not
shiny are diffuse
• White painted surfaces
Spread Reflection
• Parallel rays of light get reflected
slightly in different angles. The
reflected rays are clustered in a
certain direction
• Etched or hammered surfaces
produce spread reflection
• Spread reflection may be
thought as a combination of
specular and diffuse reflections.
• Spread reflection has dominant
directional component that is
partially diffused due to surface
irregularities
 Compound Reflection
• It’s a diffuse reflection with a dominating
component in specular direction.
• Eg: Painted surfaces, glossy paper
 Scattered Reflection
• Does not obey the laws of reflection
• The reflections which cannot be associated
with any particular type
 Selective reflection
• Reflecting surface absorbs certain wavelength
of incident radiation, others are reflected.
• The wavelength selected for reflection
determines the colour of the object.
 Total Internal Reflection
Refraction TIR
 Absorption
• If the material on which the light rays hit not
transparent, the non reflected light disappears
in the surface and converted into another
form of energy.
• Red surface reflects red light and absorb all
other wavelengths.
 Transmission
• If the material on which the light falls has a
certain degree of transparency, part of light
passes through it.
• Eg: clear glass, clear water.
• Regular (Transparent), Diffuse (Translucent),
• Mixed (Almost opaque)
 Types of transmission
Diffuse (Ground Glass) Mixed (Frosted Glass)
Selective transmission (filters)
Refraction
• The "bending" of light
at the interface of two
materials of different
refractive indices
• Refractive Index is
defined as the ratio of
the speed of light in a
vacuum to its speed in
the medium
Polarization
• Removal of undesired
component of light
• Sun Glass