💡 Lux to Foot-Candles Calculator
Convert illuminance between lux and foot-candles — single values, bulk conversion, or room planning mode.
| Space Type | Min fc | Recommended fc | Task Area fc | Lux Equiv |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office — General | 30 | 50 | 75 | 538 |
| Office — Computer Work | 20 | 30 | 50 | 323 |
| Retail — General Sales | 20 | 30 | 50 | 323 |
| Retail — Feature Display | 50 | 75 | 100 | 807 |
| Classroom | 30 | 50 | 75 | 538 |
| Kitchen — Counter | 30 | 50 | 70 | 538 |
| Bedroom — General | 10 | 20 | 30 | 215 |
| Bathroom — Vanity | 30 | 50 | 70 | 538 |
| Warehouse — Storage | 10 | 30 | 50 | 323 |
| Lobby / Reception | 10 | 20 | 30 | 215 |
| Corridor / Hallway | 5 | 10 | 20 | 108 |
| Outdoor Parking | 0.5 | 2 | 5 | 22 |
| Lux | Foot-Candles (fc) | fc | Lux | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0.93 | 1 | 10.76 | Emergency lighting |
| 50 | 4.65 | 5 | 53.82 | Stairwells, corridors |
| 100 | 9.29 | 10 | 107.64 | Storage areas |
| 200 | 18.58 | 20 | 215.28 | Bedrooms, lobbies |
| 323 | 30 | 30 | 322.92 | Retail floors, warehouses |
| 500 | 46.45 | 50 | 538.2 | Offices, kitchens |
| 750 | 69.68 | 75 | 807.3 | Drafting, fine work |
| 1000 | 92.9 | 100 | 1076.4 | Surgery, inspection |
| 1500 | 139.35 | 150 | 1614.6 | Precision assembly |
| 2000 | 185.8 | 200 | 2152.8 | High-detail inspection |
The light measurement units base on two different systems that describe the same basic notion. The foot-candles belong to the imperial system while the lux use the metric. Both measure illuminance, so how much light indeed reaches surface at any spot but they start from different spots
Here the main difference: one foot-candle match to one lumen spread above square foot, while one lux is one lumen for square meter. That is the SI standard. The conversion operate thanks to the relation between those area units.
Foot-candles and Lux: The Simple Difference
One square meter matches in around 10.76 square feet, so one foot-candle become approximately 10.764 lux. Reverse direction? One lux matches in around 0.0929 foot-candles.
The calculations count both ways, depending on the way that you choose.
The historic origin is nice and logical. Think about one burning candle one foot in front of wall, that gives the illuminance on that surface, so one foot-candle. Move the same to one meter of distance, and the light on the wall becomes one lux.
So yes, one foot-candle deliver more than tenfold of light intensity.
For practical cases… As check, whether your office has enough light, accuracy inside 10 percent suffices most commonly. Hence many professionals simply round: one foot-candle ≈ 10 or 11 lux answer for everyday compuations.
It is easy to remember and ends the task.
Knowing of relevant words explain the whole image. The candela points the brightness of light source in particular direction. Lumens, rather, measure the whole light that it sends everywhere.
Foot-candles then say when part of that light indeed arrives to specific spot, considering distance and focus. The lux does almost the same, but for square meter (it is the metric brother).
Here key difference that confuses many: lumens and foot-candles are not interchangeable, although they sound near. Lumens estimate the total light from the lamp. Foot-candles and lux rather measure magnitude, so brightness at particular place.
Lamp can have fixed amount of lumens, but without knowing the beam angle, height or direction, you do not know the brightness at one spot. Here foot-candles genuinely help, they show the actual illuminance correctly here, where you require.
Those conversions matter for architects, engineers and facility managers with international drafts through various lands. Websites count it immediately, and you find guides with steps everywhere. Some apps switch between the units by means of one touch.
Whether installing indoor lights inwardly or designing workspace, lux and foot-candles both estimate light intensity as our eyes feel it, so illuminance in action.
