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.

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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

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Example Sentences

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

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

The average temperature of the carbon tips is lower than that of the positive tip of a direct-current arc, with the result that the luminous efficiency is lower.

From Project Gutenberg

It immediately became possible to operate it at a higher temperature with a resulting increase of luminous efficiency.

From Project Gutenberg

Owing to the limitations imposed by physical laws of radiation and by the physiological processes of vision the highest luminous efficiency obtainable by heating solid materials is only about 15 per cent. of the luminous efficiency of the most luminous radiant energy.

From Project Gutenberg