Convertyze

Luminous Intensity Converter

Unit conversions for units of luminous intensity such as candela (cd), millicandela (mcd), and candlepower (cp). Suitable for lighting design, optics, and photometric calculation.

Result

mcd

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Formula

Conversion Formula 

1 cd
1.000000 × 1000 → 1000.000000 mcd
About

About Luminous Intensity

Luminous intensity measures visible light from a source in a direction, according to human eye sensitivity. It is a basic term of photometry and necessary for judging the quality of a lighting system.

  • Candela (cd) – SI unit of luminous intensity.
  • Millicandela (mcd) – 1/1000 of a candela, employed in LED standards.
  • Kilocandela (kcd) – 1000 candelas, used in high-power lighting applications.
  • Candle – Older term, approximately equal to 1.02 cd.
  • Carcel – Ancient French unit, ≈ 9.61 cd.
  • Hefnerkerze (HK) – Abandoned German unit, ≈ 0.9 cd.
  • Bougie décimale – Equal to 1 cd, used in old standards.
  • Pentane candle – Obsolete unit used before standardization; ≈ 9.74 cd.
Units

Luminous Intensity Units

Luminous intensity is a measure of the wavelength-weighted power emitted in a given direction by an emitting source. It is required in such fields as lighting design, optics, and vision science. Various types of units have been used all over the world and historically to quantify this property.

Modern Units

  • Candela (cd) – The SI unit of luminous intensity, standardized in 1979. It is based on the emission of monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 × 10¹² hertz with a radiant intensity of 1/683 watt per steradian.
  • Millicandela (mcd) – Equal to one-thousandth of a candela (1 mcd = 0.001 cd). Commonly used in electronics and LEDs with low intensities.
  • Kilocandela (kcd) – Equal to 1,000 candelas (1 kcd = 1,000 cd). Used for high-intensity sources like vehicle headlights and lighthouses.

Historical and Obsolete Units

  • Candle (old) – An early unit based on the light from a sperm whale oil candle. Its value varied regionally until it was replaced by the candela.
  • Carcel Unit – A 19th-century French unit defined by the light from a colza oil lamp. Approximately equal to 9.74 candelas.
  • Hefnerkerze (HK) – Used in Germany and Austria, based on a flame from burning amyl acetate. Approximately 0.9 candelas.
  • Bougie Décimale – A French metric unit approximately equal to one candela, used as a transition to the metric system.
  • Pentane Candle – A British unit using a controlled pentane-fueled candle. Eventually replaced by the candela.