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luminous efficiency

American  

noun

Optics.
  1. the perceived brightness of light as a ratio of the total luminous flux to total radiant flux of the source; a measure of brightness obtained by dividing the source's luminous flux by the consumption of its energy.


luminous efficiency British  

noun

  1.  V.  the efficiency of polychromatic radiation in producing a visual sensation. It is the radiant flux weighed according to the spectral luminous efficiencies of its constituent wavelengths divided by the corresponding radiant flux

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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The experiment was undertaken in the hope that shaped charges would help answer some important questions in meteor physics, e.g., controlled experiments concerning the luminous efficiency of meteors and other hypervelocity effects.

From Time Magazine Archive

It has been seen that flames have been prominent sources of artificial light; and although of low luminous efficiency, they still have much to commend them from the standpoints of portability, convenience, and subdivision.

From Project Gutenberg

The visibility or luminous efficiency of radiant energy may be ranged approximately in this manner according to the colors aroused: yellow-green, yellow, green, orange, blue-green, red, blue, deep red, violet.

From Project Gutenberg

All this time its luminous efficiency is increasing, because it is radiating not only an increasing percentage of visible radiant energy but an increasing amount of the most effective luminous energy.

From Project Gutenberg

The luminous efficiency of the most efficient white light is about 265 lumens per watt; in other words, if a hypothetical light-source radiated energy of only the visible wave-lengths and in proportions to produce the sensation of white, each watt would produce 265 lumens.

From Project Gutenberg