In radiometry, radiant intensity is a measure of the intensity of electromagnetic radiation. It is defined as power per unit solid angle. The SI unit of radiant intensity is watts per steradian (W·sr−1). Radiant intensity is distinct from irradiance and radiant exitance, which are often called intensity in branches of physics other than radiometry.
SI radiometry units- v
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| Quantity | Symbol | SI unit | Symbol | Dimension | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radiant energy | Qe | joule | J | M⋅L2⋅T−2 | energy | |||
| Radiant flux | Φe | watt | W | M⋅L2⋅T−3 | radiant energy per unit time, also called radiant power. | |||
| Spectral power | Φeλ | watt per metre | W⋅m−1 | M⋅L⋅T−3 | radiant power per wavelength. | |||
| Radiant intensity | Ie | watt per steradian | W⋅sr−1 | M⋅L2⋅T−3 | power per unit solid angle. | |||
| Spectral intensity | Ieλ | watt per steradian per metre | W⋅sr−1⋅m−1 | M⋅L⋅T−3 | radiant intensity per wavelength. | |||
| Radiance | Le | watt per steradian per square metre | W⋅sr−1⋅m−2 | M⋅T−3 | power per unit solid angle per unit projected source area. confusingly called "intensity" in some other fields of study. |
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| Spectral radiance | Leλ or Leν |
watt per steradian per metre3 or watt per steradian per square |
W⋅sr−1⋅m−3 or W⋅sr−1⋅m−2⋅Hz−1 |
M⋅L−1⋅T−3 or M⋅T−2 |
commonly measured in W⋅sr−1⋅m−2⋅nm−1 with surface area and either wavelength or frequency. |
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| Irradiance | Ee | watt per square metre | W⋅m−2 | M⋅T−3 | power incident on a surface, also called radiant flux density. sometimes confusingly called "intensity" as well. |
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| Spectral irradiance | Eeλ or Eeν |
watt per metre3 or watt per square metre per hertz |
W⋅m−3 or W⋅m−2⋅Hz−1 |
M⋅L−1⋅T−3 or M⋅T−2 |
commonly measured in W⋅m−2⋅nm−1 or 10−22W⋅m−2⋅Hz−1, known as solar flux unit. |
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| Radiant exitance / Radiant emittance |
Me | watt per square metre | W⋅m−2 | M⋅T−3 | power emitted from a surface. | |||
| Spectral radiant exitance / Spectral radiant emittance |
Meλ or Meν |
watt per metre3 or watt per square |
W⋅m−3 or W⋅m−2⋅Hz−1 |
M⋅L−1⋅T−3 or M⋅T−2 |
power emitted from a surface per wavelength or frequency. |
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| Radiosity | Je or Jeλ | watt per square metre | W⋅m−2 | M⋅T−3 | emitted plus reflected power leaving a surface. | |||
| Radiant exposure | He | joule per square metre | J⋅m−2 | M⋅T−2 | ||||
| Radiant energy density | ωe | joule per metre3 | J⋅m−3 | M⋅L−1⋅T−2 | ||||
| See also: SI · Radiometry · Photometry | ||||||||
Famous quotes containing the words radiant and/or intensity:
“The local is a shabby thing. There’s nothing worse than bringing us back down to our own little corner, our own territory, the radiant promiscuity of the face to face. A culture which has taken the risk of the universal, must perish by the universal.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)
“When a book, any sort of book, reaches a certain intensity of artistic performance it becomes literature. That intensity may be a matter of style, situation, character, emotional tone, or idea, or half a dozen other things. It may also be a perfection of control over the movement of a story similar to the control a great pitcher has over the ball.”
—Raymond Chandler (1888–1959)