Illumination Converter
Unit conversions for light such as lux (lx), foot-candles (fc), and phot. Useful for lighting design, photography, and building planning.
Result
klx
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Conversion Formula
1 lx 1.000000 ÷ 1000 → 0.001000 klx
About Illumination
Illumination, or illuminance, is the measure of luminous flux falling on a specific surface. It is a significant factor in visual perception and is used in fields like photography, lighting design, and workplace safety.
- Lux (lx) – SI unit of illuminance, equal to one lumen per square meter.
- Foot-candle (fc) – Also employed in the US; 1 fc ≅ 10.764 lux.
- Phot (ph) – CGS unit of illuminance; 1 ph = 10,000 lux.
- Millilux (mlx), Microlux (µlx), Nanolux (nlx) – Lux multiples for very low light levels.
- Lumen per square foot/inch/cm – Other units including luminous flux per area.
Illumination Units
Light intensity falling on a surface is measured by illumination units. They are used in photography, architecture, interior space design, street lights, workplace safety, and scientific studies. Understanding different illumination units ensures optimum visibility, comfort, and energy savings in various environments.
Common Illumination Units
- Lux (lx) – The SI unit for light officially. One lux is one lumen divided by a square meter (lm/m²). It is used to qualify light levels in buildings and outdoors, such as offices, classrooms, and highways.
- Kilolux (klx) – A kilolux has a value of 1,000 lux. Kilolux is used in instances of intense lighting, such as photo studios or sporting arenas.
- Phot (ph) – A unit of the CGS (centimeter-gram-second) system, 1 phot = 10,000 lux. Less common but useful in some scientific applications.
- Nanolux (nlx) – A very small unit of illumination equal to a one-billionth of a lux. Nanolux is useful in scientific research involving very low light levels.
- Microlux (µlx) – One-millionth of a lux. It is normally used in the measurement of weak light for laboratory or astronomical purposes.
- Millilux (mlx) – One-thousandth of a lux. Millilux can be used in the measurement of minimal levels of ambient light, i.e., moonlight or dense shade.
- Foot-candle (fc) – A non-SI unit often utilized in America. A foot-candle is approximately 10.764 lux. It continues to be heavily utilized in architecture and commercial lighting design.
- Lumen per square inch (lm/in²) – Measures the quantity of luminous flux that falls on an area of one square inch. It is less widely used but gives high-resolution light intensity data for small installations.
- Lumen per square foot (lm/ft²) – A unit often included in U.S. building and lighting codes. It is equal to the foot-candle.
- Lumen per square centimeter (lm/cm²) – A high-resolution illumination unit used in optics and technical lighting equipment where precision lighting is necessary.
- Lumen per square meter (lm/m²) – This is exactly the same as lux (lx), so it is a straightforward variant of the SI standard for illumination.
Why Illumination Units Matter
Choosing the appropriate unit of illumination helps achieve proper light levels in various areas. Office design, street lighting analysis, constructing lab experiments, or constructing compliance call for the use of units like lux, foot-candle, or phot to achieve accurate measurement of light.
When changing from system to system—e.g., from lux to foot-candles, or kilolux to lumen per square foot—the precise and reliable information offered by a credible illumination unit converter guarantees exact conversion among various standards.