What Is This Tool?
This converter allows you to translate luminous intensity measurements from the obsolete French unit bougie decimal to the carcel unit, both historical units used during the 19th century. It is designed to aid in interpreting and comparing lighting data from that era.
How to Use This Tool?
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Enter the luminous intensity value in bougie decimal units.
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Select bougie decimal as the source unit and carcel as the target unit.
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Click convert to see the corresponding value in carcel units.
Key Features
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Converts luminous intensity from bougie decimal to carcel unit accurately according to historical rates.
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Supports understanding and comparing 19th-century lighting standards and technical documents.
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Browser-based and easy to use without requiring advanced photometric knowledge.
Examples
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5 Bougie decimal converts to approximately 0.5203 Carcel units.
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10 Bougie decimal converts to about 1.0406 Carcel units.
Common Use Cases
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Translating historical luminous intensity data from 19th- and early 20th-century French lighting documents.
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Comparing brightness from early oil-lamp standards in museum or archival research.
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Educational studies on the evolution of photometry and measurement units.
Tips & Best Practices
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Use the tool for historical, archival, or educational purposes rather than modern scientific measurement.
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Cross-reference conversion results when restoring or analyzing antique lighting sources.
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Combine this conversion with other tools if SI unit values like candela are required.
Limitations
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Both bougie decimal and carcel units are obsolete and not used in modern lighting measurement.
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Historical variations in lamp setup and fuel affect equivalency and consistency of values.
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The conversion does not yield SI-compliant results and should be supplemented accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What are bougie decimal and carcel units used for?
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They are historical French units that measured luminous intensity in the 19th century, primarily used before the adoption of modern SI units like the candela.
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Why convert between bougie decimal and carcel units?
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To interpret and compare lighting data from the 19th century, aiding research, restoration, and historical study involving obsolete unit systems.
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Can this conversion be used for modern lighting measurements?
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No, these units are outdated and mainly serve historical, educational, or archival roles rather than current scientific applications.
Key Terminology
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Bougie decimal
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An obsolete French luminous intensity unit used in the 19th century, representing a decimal-based candle measure.
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Carcel unit
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A 19th-century luminous intensity unit defined by the light from a specific oil lamp burning standardized fuel and wick.
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Luminous intensity
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A photometric measure of the amount of light emitted by a source in a particular direction.