Foot-candle

Description

An English unit of measure for the intensity of illumination. Originating in the 19th century, one foot-candle (fc) is equal to the light produced by one candle at a distance of one foot. It is also defined as equal to one lumen per square foot. Sunlight is approximately 125 fc. Light sensitive fabrics are kept at illuminations of 5 fc or less in historic homes (Bucher 1996). The standard international (SI) unit for measuring illumination is Lux. One foot-candle is approximately 10 lux.

Synonyms and Related Terms

fc; footcandle

Resources and Citations

• G.Thomson, The Museum Environment, Butterworths, London, 1978. ° W. Bucher, Dictionary of Building Preservation, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1996.