Calculate Optimum lamp height for maximum illuminance
A lamp is on point B (eg dining table) be suspended so that the illuminance at point A (eg table edge) is at a maximum. Thus, the optimum lamp position with maximum brightness would be found at the table edge.
At what height h the lamp should be suspended over the table?
sketch
The illuminance is proportional to and the projected area .
Thus: illuminance . k is a proportionality factor.
Furthermore, the following applies: .
Illuminance: .
Forming the 1st derivative to find the maximum:
.
Thus, the first derivative is zero, the counter must be zero.
It follows for the extremes:
.(Note: That Extrema is a maximum because of the extremes on the h-axis pass through a sign change of + ("uphill") to - ("downhill") takes place alternatively use 2nd derivative..)
Hence the optimum lamp height:
.Example "lamp on a table" has h = 70 cm above the table when the table has a diameter of 2 m (a = 100 cm).
Have fun hanging lamp.