ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the basics of lighting. It discusses the eye and vision, the eye’s response to different light levels, terminology used and some of the most familiar types of lamps and lighting. The chapter also discusses light in the work environment, where good lighting is essential for health, safety and productivity. Aside from its indispensable role in vision, light affects the functioning of the neuroendocrine system, which in turn affects other systems and organs of the body. Fluorescent lamps are low-pressure mercury lamps, available as hot-cathode and cold-cathode versions. The hot cathode is the type normally found in offices and workplaces, while the cold-cathode type is used mainly for signage and advertising. An alternative and efficient form of lighting is achieved by passing an electric current through a gas. Photometers are photoelectric instruments that use special optic filters to reconstruct the exact response of the human eye to light intensity.
