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Seeing the light
Seeing the light

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Measuring light

Activity 2 Measuring light

Timing: Allow about 15 minutes

Do you think the light levels in your home are above or below average? If you have a smart phone you can download a free light meter app, such as ‘whitegoods’. Then, to calculate an average value you could take readings at midday, and in the centre of every room in your home. Add these readings together and divide by the total number of rooms to reveal a good estimate of the average levels of light in your home.

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Figure 1 A smartphone displays the ‘whitegoods’ light meter app
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A photograph of a hand holding a smartphone with the ‘whitegoods’ light meter app showing.

Figure 1 A smartphone displays the ‘whitegoods’ light meter app

Discussion

Measuring the average light in your home is not as straightforward as perhaps the programme leads you to believe. There are some dark places (for example, your cellar) as well as very light places (for example, by a south-facing window). Light levels would also depend on when you took your light readings, as the intensity and quality of light changes through the day.