Light_Vocabulary

Light Vocabulary

Accent Lighting Directional lighting to emphasize a particular object or draw attention to a display item.

Ambient Lighting The general lighting present in an area --excluding task lighting and accent lighting but including general lighting and daylight streaming in.

Bulb A loose way of referring to a lamp. "Bulb" refers to the outer glass bulb containing the light source.

Chandelier: a chandelier is often the focal point of the dining room. As such it should be hung about 30 inches above the tabletop and should be at least 6 inches narrower than the table on each side.

Electrode Any metal terminal emitting or collecting charged particles, typically inside the chamber of a gas discharge lamp. In a fluorescent lamp, the electrodes are typically metal filaments coated with special powders called emission mix. Negatively charged free electrons emitted by one electrode are attracted to the positive electrode (anode), creating an electric current and arc between electrodes.

Frequency Rate of alternation in an AC current. Expressed in cycles per second or Hertz (Hz).

Illuminance The "density" of light (lumens/area) incident on a surface; i.e. the light level on a surface. Illuminance is measured in [|footcandles] or [|lux].

Light Radiant energy that can be sensed or seen by the human eye. Visible light is measured in [|lumens].

Voltage: the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts; the electric pressure that exists between two points and is capable of producing a flow of current when a closed circuit is connected between the two points; the rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a flow of electricity in a circuit; synonyms: electrical potential, electromotive force, EMF; Formulae: volts = amps x ohms, V = I x R, voltage = electrical current x electrical resistance.

