ACOUSTICS AND LIGHTING

Instructor: Architect Leah Ybaez-Martin

SOUND
- is a physical wave or simply a series of
pressure vibrations
- for airborne sound, the medium is air
- for structure borne sound, the medium is
building materials such as concrete, steel, wood,
glass or combinations of all these
- it is always assumed that the hearer has a
pair of healthy young ears with the direction range of
20 to 20,000 Hz

ACOUSTICS
- is a branch of science that deals with the
control and propagation of sound.

Objectives of acoustics
1. to reinforce needed sound
2. to eliminate unwanted sound
3. to prevent unwanted sound to be transmitted into
an enclosed space

THE NATURE OF SOUND

sound
- originates from a vibrating body. It is
pressure have in an elastic medium. It is not
restricted, it spreads outward from its source in all
directions diminishing in intensity inversely as the
square of the distance from the source increases
- these vibrations from the body come
outward as compressions and rarefactions in the
surrounding air

rarefaction
- the instantaneous, local reduction in density
of a gas resulting from passage of a sound wave, or
the region in which the density is reduced at some
instant
- elongation of sound
- the vibration from a body are called
frequencies

PROPERTIES OF SOUND
speed of velocity
- 1125 ft/sec at 20F, the velocity increases
1ft/sec for every 10
rise in temperature (in
Fahrenheit)
where:
v = velocity
F = frequency
d = distance of the medium through which the sound
travels

frequency
- is the number of cycles of vibrations
executed per second. Humans can hear sounds
within the 40 vps to 16,000 vps range

molecular absorption
- a sound maybe covered up or absorbed by
another sound. This phenomena is called masking
of sound and this is very useful in acoustics
- the sound masking is usually of lower
frequency than the sound it masks

soporific effect

frequencies
- cycles per second (cps) or vibrations per
second (vps) and the compressions and rarefactions
are called sound waves

- that effect brought about by a low-steady

sound
WAVELENGTH
- distance between two crests of a sound
wave
- low frequency sounds have longer
wavelengths than high frequency sounds. The
wavelength is also the distance traveled by sound in
one second divided by the frequency of the wave
- example:
the wavelength of a 100 cycle wave is a little
of eleven feet long and a five hundred cycle wave

GEOMETRY OF REFLECTED SOUND

WL = distance traveled by sound

wave in one second / the
frequency of the wave

BEHAVIOR OF SOUND IN A ROOM

When a sound wave in a room strikes a
surface in a room, part of the energy is reflected,
part is absorbed by the surface and part is
transmitted to the surface
REFLECTION OF SOUND ON A SURFACE
A surface that is rigid, flat and smooth
usually reflects sound. The reflection of sound on a
surface follows the behavior of reflected light,
meaning that the angle of incidence is equal to
the angle of reflection

One characteristic of sound is that, like light,

it can bend around an obstruction known as
diffraction of sound. Low frequency sounds are
diffracted more easily than high frequency sounds

When the wavelength of a sound is just the

same as one of the rooms dimensions, a standing
wave is created. When a sound comes from a source,

the hearer of the sound actually hears two types of

sounds:
1. direct or original sound
- from the source and directly delivered to the
hearer
2. reflected sound
- from all directions of the room
for a sound to be heard by a listener comfortably,
the reflected sound must come to him not later than
0.05 of a second or in terms of distance, the direct
sound and the path of the reflected sound should not
exceed 57 ft

VELOCITY OF PROPAGATION
Sound travels at different velocities,
depending upon the medium. On air, at sea level,
sound velocity is 344 m/sec or 1130 fps, slow
compared to light at 186,000 miles per second.
Sound travels much faster in liquids and solids than it
does on air.
SOUND PROPAGATION VELOCITY IN VARIOUS MEDIA
medium
Air
Water
Wood
Brick

VELOCITY
meter per
second
344
1410
3300
3600

feet per second

1130
4625
10,825
11,800

Concrete
Steel
Glass
Aluminum

3700
4900
5000
5800
At 22C

12,100
16,000
16,400
19,000
At 72F

SPEED OF SOUND
As sound travels much slower than the speed
of light, the resulting defects in many rooms are
echoes and reverberations
When the reflected sound, which reaches an
observer, is delayed more than about 0.058 seconds
relative to the direct sounds, they are distinguished
as echoes. Reverberation consist of successive
reflections of sounds in a room, and since sound
travels only about 1130 ft or 344 m/sec, these
usually will be a rather long succession of these
reflections before the sound dies away to inaudibility
Thus, the speed of sound plays a significant
role in architectural acoustics
RESONANCE
Is what happens to a body when another
vibrating body vibrates and initiates. The other body
to vibrate in harmony with it
Resonance can be useful to reinforce sounds
at some specific frequencies
This happens only however, if the resonating
body or resonator has a dimension which is a
multiple of the wavelength of the sound wave from
the originating body

surface, the sound waves through friction on the

pores of the surface are transformed into heat
energy
THE TYPES OF ABSORBENT SURFACES ARE:
soft and porous surfaces
- such as corkboard, foam or Styrofoam or any
material which has this property like draperies on the
walls and carpets on the floor

Low frequencies have more resonance than

the high frequencies because low frequencies have
longer wavelengths and therefore more multipliers to
the dimensions of the room than high frequencies
Yet, there are sounds that require less
resonance to give presence to the sounds
SOUND ABSORPTION
The sound phenomenon that happens to
sound when it strikes a surface is that the sound is
absorbed by the surface. Actually, what really
happens is, when sound wave strikes an absorbent

panel absorber
- consisting of two layers of materials with an
airspace between them. The outer layer, being of
porous type and the inner layer of solid background

cavity resonator
- Consisting of an enclosed
body of air which is
connected by a narrow
passage with the space
containing the sound waves.
This type of absorber is
effective only at the
resonant frequency,
meaning it can only absorb
some sounds

When the sound wave is transformed into

heat energy, the sound will no longer be reflected.
The sound heard is only the direct sound
This sound absorption efficiency of a material
is measured in terms of units known as sobius, in
which one sabin means perfect absorption and 0
means no absorption
Number 1 absorption
- open window or door
- a line of pillows
- two closets facing each other and
sandwiching a wall
DECIBEL
- measurement of the intensity of sound
- abbreviated (db)
40db
- limit for comfortable hearing
100-120 db
- can no longer be comfortable, that is painful to the
ear
ECHO
- reflected sound
REVERBERATION
- is a series of echoes coming from the same source
REVERBERATION TIME
- is the time in seconds that a reflected sound
diminishes for the case by 60db after the original
sound has stopped
- formula
RT = 0.05V
a1s1
where:
V = volume of room in cubic feet
s1 = area of an absorbent surface
a1 = coefficient of absorption of a
surface
- example
an auditorium with a volume of 80,800
is to be acoustically treated to serve an

materials
Wood
Plaster
Metal
Glass
Seats

acceptable reverberation time with or without

audience.
The auditorium has been provided with
the following materials such as:
area in feet
coefficient
absorption
(s1)
of
in sabins
absorption
(a1)
6,928
.03
208
7,440
.033
246
628
.01
6.3
408
.025
10.2
550
.017
93.5
504.01
units in
sabins

-computation
RT = 0.05V
a1s1
RT = .05(80,800)
504
= 4040
504
= 8.0 seconds
add 200 auditors at 4.17 each
200 x 4.17 = 834
+ 504
1338
RT = .05(80,800)
1338
= 3.0 seconds
from table: the ideal RT is from 1 to 1.5
seconds
-corrections

1.5 = .05(80,800)
(1338 + x)
1.5(1338 + x) = .05(80,800)
x = 1355.3

TRANSIENT SOUND
- is the term applied to the direct sound which if the
originating body stops, vibrating also stops.
SOUND FIELDS IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE
When a sound propagated in an enclosed
space reaches a wall or other large (with respect to
wavelength) obstruction, part is reflected and part is
absorbed.
The sound at any point in the room is then the
combination of direct sound from walls and other
obstructions.

SOUND FIELDS CAN BE RECOGNIZED AS FOLLOWS

near field
- generally within one wavelength of the
lowest frequency of sound produced by the source.
- the maximum wavelength for the male
human voice is 3.30mts or 11 ft

reverberant field
- near large obstructions such as walls
- is dominant and approaches a diffused
condition

free field
- exist between the near and reverberant field
- the intensity varies as pressure squared and
inversely with the distance

DIFFUSION
When the reflections are so large that the
sound level becomes uniform throughout the room.
(no acoustical shadow).
Most rooms dont have such a high level of
reflection that a diffuse field is created:
1. near field near the source
2. free field at a distance
3. reverberant field near the walls

INVERSE SQUARE LAW

States that the intensity of sound is inversely
proportional to distance from the source.

SOUNDS MAYBE CLASSIFIED AS:

1. ordered

2. disordered
in an ordered sound, the instantaneous
pressure follows a regular pattern
in a disordered sound, the peak of acoustic
power occur more or less at random, the periodic
qualities of ordered sound are lacking.
THREE CLASSIFICATIONS OF SOUNDS IN A BUILDING
1. noise unwanted sound
2. music generally not always made up of ordered
sound
3. speech consists of both ordered and disordered
sound
THE HEALING POWER OF SOUND
In many ancient cultures, the power of sound
played a major role in developing the spiritual and
physical well being of the people.
Today, due to the growing interest of
alternative medicine. The use sound for therapeutic
purpose is once again regaining popular
acceptance.
Sound waves from the outside enter the ear
and are converted into nerve impulses. They are
transmitted to the brain which interprets them as
sounds that we hear.

Cheering during a basketball game heightens

emotions and develops a sense of group unity
Jazz and classical music generally provides a
feeling of relaxation
Noise from the rush hour traffic causes anxiety and
tension
These are only few instances where sound
only becomes a part of our everyday life, but also
affects it as well.

MUSIC THERAPHY
Music makes a powerful impact on the senses.
Often touching feelings too deep or too difficult to
express in words. The approach of music therapy
practitioners can be classified into two:
The response approach
- focuses on the therapeutic power of
music heard from an external source and the
body and minds reaction to such music.
The expression approach
- identifies musics power to come not only
form its reception but also from its creation.
Music allows us to express a wide range of
emotions from frustrations to extreme joy; music
also reveals deep feelings and problems
This psychotherapeutic effect is the reason
why music therapy has become popular in treating
the mentally ill and the mentally handicapped.
Playing music is also encourage among the
physically disabled people who need to improve their
movement and control.
DESIGN OF ROOMS FOR SPEECH WITHOUT THE USE
OF SOUND SYSTEM
1. The main objective in the design of rooms of this kind
to insure that every member of the audience
can clearly hear what the speaker says.
2. Another aim is to preserve the natural qualities of a
speakers voice so that each member of the audience
can appreciate the dramatic effect intended by the
speaker.
NATURE OF SPEECH SOUNDS AND EFFECTS OF ROOM
ACOUSTICS
1. Speech should consist of a flow of various
combinations of vowel and consonant sounds.
The consonant sounds are merely of a transient
nature, meaning they are short and rapidly changing.

Generally, it is the recognition of the consonant

sounds which is a factor in speech intelligibly in
an auditorium.
2. If every member of an audience is to hear well, the
sound in each seat must be loud enough, this being
the case, there should be a minimum of
background noises which will tend to mask the
wanted sound.
3. Reverberation time should also be reduced to a
tolerable level because the reverberations of the
previous syllables will obscure the sound of each
syllable.

4. Because speech is directional, in plan, the seats

should be positioned so that none falls outside an
angle of 140, the sound intensity will decay rapidly.
5. In order for the direct sound to be reinforced by the
reverberant sound, reflectors should be used and
angled towards that part of the audience farthest
from the speaker.

6. The

reflected paths should not exceed 50ft more than the

direct sound path.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ROOMS INTENDED FOR
SPEECH
1. The direct sound shall be as strong as possible
because the sound weakens as the distance from the
source increases.
2. It is also important that the direct sound shall not
be obstructed by any means.
3. The best way to insure that the direct sound will go
to every seat is either:
The source of the sound should be
located higher than any head in the
audience.
By seating the audience in such a way that at
least 3 inches is provided between the
sight from one row and the sight from the
next.

Note: 140 covers both the horizontal and vertical

7. It has been found out that the best volume for
rooms of this kind is 100 ft3 per seat.
8. After the size and shape of the room has been
determined, the next step is to design the surface so
that the reverberation time will be suitable.

Recommended reverberation times for

various volume levels
10,000 ft3
0.7 of a second
20,000 ft3
0.78 of a second
40,000 ft3
0.82 of a second
100,000 ft3
0.9 of a second
400,000 ft3
1.0 of a second

If the reverberation time of the structure

is larger or longer than the acceptable level,
then the only way to remedy the fault is to
provide sound absorbent materials on those
surfaces that reflected sound.
CLOUDS

- pieces of
cloth hung on the
ceiling to absorb
sound not less than 2
ft in depth; 2 ft
because the
wavelength of low
frequency sound is
usually 2 ft
- the best location for the sound absorbents in
a room intended for speech is at the end of the
room away from the speaker and also to those
surfaces which might produce unwanted echoes,
like the rear of the wall of the hall, especially if the
wall is concave.

THE DESIGN OF ROOM FOR MUSIC

Factors that affect good production of

music
1. definition
- refers to hearing clearly each type of musical
instrument so that they are readily distinguished
from each other.
2. balance
- is the correct loudness ratio between the various
sections of the orchestra.
3. blend
- is the hearing of a body of instruments as a
homogeneous source rather than as a collection of
individual sources.
4. a low level of intruding noise

ACOUSTICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF ROOMS FOR MUSIC

All the reflections of the original sound
will blend into the direct sound and gives body to
the music.
These are known as first reflections and
should arrive after the direct sound is not more than
0.35 second. All the other reverberant sounds
which come later, this time will produce a muffled
effect to the original sound. These are the sounds
that should be eliminated especially if among these
sounds, there are one to two reflected sounds that
stick out above the others and these are the
echoes.

How to achieve good definition

1. The direct and the first reflected sounds must be
maintained at a high intensity.

2. The shape of the room should be considered in

terms of the factors related to the design of
rooms intended for speech.
3. There should be a reflector above the stage to
throw reflected sounds towards the rear of the
audience. If balcony is part of the design, then
the soffit will provide as a reflector to that part of
the audience under the balcony.

If the music is of primary importance, then

the design should be in accordance with the
principles for the design of rooms for music.
3. A church which has separate cell fro transept or
chapel which opens off to the main body of the
church has the acoustical disadvantages that the
reverberation in the cells may be different from the
main bodys. Some particular notes may continue in
the cells long after the main reverberation has
stopped.
SPEECH REINFORCEMENTSYSTEM OR SOUND
SYSTEMS AID TO THE NATURAL SOUND

How to achieve fullness of tone

This can be achieved again if the first
reflectors assist the direct sound.

How to achieve balance

This can be achieved by the proper location of
the various sections of the orchestra. Weaker
instruments should not be hidden behind stronger
instruments.

ACOUSTICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHURCHES AND

CATHEDRALS
1. All the acoustical design will depend on whether
speech or music is considered the more important
element on the nature of the religious service.
2. If speech is of first importance, the church will be
designed in accordance with the principles in the
design of speech.

Reasons for using sound reinforcement system

1. The original sound may not be loud enough to be
heard by every member of the audience therefore
sound system may be used.
2. There might be too much noise coming from outside
as well as within the audience that tends to cover the
original sound.
3. The acoustics of the building itself maybe poor and
well interfere with the unaided speech sound and for
this reason, reinforcement system is required to
reduce bad acoustics
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS IN THE USE OF SOUND
REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM
1. The audience must hear the words clearly without
distortion and in a reasonable loudness.
2. for realistic effect, the speech should appear to be
coming from the human speaker and not from any
loud speaker.
MICROPHONES
Two types of microphone
1. omnidirectional microphone

- equally sensitive sound to sounds arriving at it from

any direction
2. directional microphone
- receives sound from one direction. For speaking
purposes, the directional microphone is better to use
because it reduces the feedback

sound should be made to come out a little bit later

than the natural sound, usually at an interval of 0.035 of
a second

LOUDSPEAKER
- to give natural as much as possible as well
as to make the sound louder
- diffuses low frequency sounds, projects
directionally high frequency sounds
- should be placed one at the left, the other at
the right
For good reaction of the microphone, the man
speaking should be from 18 to 2 ft from the microphone. If
too close, the low frequency sounds will be accentuated. If
farther away, the reverberant sounds will be picked up
For good hearing and reception, the main speaker
should stay in a fixed position and should not vary
substantially the distance between his mouth and the
microphone
An ideal situation in the used of speech
reinforcement system is that the listener will hear not only
the natural sound but also the sound coming from a
loudspeaker
Under this condition, the hearing of the natural and
the loudspeaker merely magnifies the sound
Another effect to consider is that the listener should
be able to know the location of the source of sound, that is,
that the sound appears to come from the original source and
not from the loudspeaker. To achieve this effect, the natural
sound should be heard first by the listener before the sound
of the loudspeaker and this is known as time delayed
sound in which thru mechanical means, the loudspeaker

DESIGN OF ROOMS INTENDED FOR SPEECH

REINFORCEMENT SYSTEMS
1. in general, rooms intended for speech or music
should be designed by an architect in such a way
that future use of the room with the aid of speech
reinforcement system should be incorporated into
the design rather than designing the room without
this consideration and then using reinforcement
systems later on
2. rooms which have good acoustical requirements are
usually better rooms for speech reinforcement
system
TYPES OF SOUND SYSTEMS WITH RESPECT TO LEVELS
OF SOUND
1. The high-level system
- which consists of a single loudspeaker with a high
level of sound. This is most applicable for rooms with
good acoustics
2. Low-level system
- consists of several loudspeaker placed at strategic
locations in the room and operating at low volume of

sound. This is most useful for rooms with bad

acoustic like churches and cathedrals

refers to the differences in the velocity of air

in terms of distance from the ground and
generally near the ground is slower than that
farther above this effects the propagation of
sound

If the high level system is used in a room with a flat

or level floor, it is good practice to place the loudspeaker
above the head of the main speaking and direct it towards
the center of the audience
If the loudspeaker will be placed behind the speaker,
the mans voice will be heard seconds before that, that
came from the loudspeaker
PRINCIPLES OF SOUND INSULATION AND NOISE
CONTROL
Definitions
1. noise an unwanted sound
2. sound insulation a process or method of making
a room invulnerable against the entry of noise
3. noise control process of elimination or limiting the
propagation of noise
PROPAGATION OF NOISE OUTDOORS
Defenses against noise in the open air:
1. to increase the distance between the source of noise
and the room to be protected
2. to put a screen or obstacles between the source and
the room
3. to design or position the room to resist the noise

FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE PROPAGATION OF NOISE

1. distance
the farther from the source the lesser is the
intensity of noise
2. molecular absorption of sound by air
high frequency sounds are absorbed more by
air than the low frequency sounds
3. wind gradient

4. temperature gradient
refers to the differences in the temperature of
air with respect to the distance from the
ground, it is higher than in the upper layers.
The reverse is true at nighttime. At night the
air near the surface of the earth is cooler

5.

any

absorption such as a wall, will reduce the

propagation of sound outdoors as long as the length
of the wall and its width should be more than the
wavelength of the sound

6. sound absorbent materials may effectively reduce

the effect of the reflected sound outdoors
7. if the source of the noise and its receiver are all
above the ground. The noise may increase due to the
reflection from the ground

SOURCE OF NOISE INDOORS

1. like all types of sound, the noise in a room is made
up of two parts: the direct sound and the
reverberant sound. The direct sound decreases in
intensity as the distance increases, whereas the
reverberant sound is uniform more or less throughout
the
room,
especially if
the
room is small
and
square.

If the designers interest is to prevent the

transmission of sound to an adjacent room, then it is
usually the reverberant sound that is to be
controlled. If the interest is merely on the effect of
sound inside the room, then it is the direct sound
that is primarily to be controlled.
2. nothing that is done to the room can alter the direct
sound.
3. the use of screen may also help in reducing the
effect of the direct sound especially if the sound is
directional. The usual practice is to put sound
absorbent materials at the side of the screen facing
the sound source. The screen absorbs the sound and
if the dimension of the screen is large compared to
the wavelength of the sound, the person behind the
screen cannot hear the sound. As for the reverberant
sounds, the use of sound absorbent materials in the
room will somehow reduce its intensity.

4.

in
long

and low ceiling rooms, the reverberant sound will not

be uniform anymore. In some parts of the room, the
reverberant sound is louder than in the other parts.
The direct sound falls off with increase in
distance. This is practical in factories where noisy
processes may be placed in one end of the room.
SOUND INSULATION
Refers to treating a room acoustically so that the
sound coming from it will not be transmitted to the
adjacent rooms
2 TYPES OF SOUND INSULATION
1. air borne sound insulation
- insulation against noise is originating in the air. Ex.
voices
2. impact sound insulation
- insulation against impact noises. Ex. footsteps and
falling objects

sound absorbent materials the smaller the opening and the

greater the area of the sound absorbents, the lesser is the
noise level.
NOISE FROM INSIDE TO OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING
With openings, the noise level just outside the
opening is the same as the reverberant sound level of the
room, farther away, the noise level depends on the area of
the openings and the distance from it.
VIBRATIION CONTROL
VIBRATION
To and from movement of the structure
Some ways to reduce vibration
1. confine the building within its own
2. create a structurally massive foundation
3. use resiliency principle of wright
VIBRATION PRINCIPLE
The more massive the building, the less the
vibration
Light frame construction (steel, wood, etc.) can
transmit sound as well as vibration
RESILIENCY PRINCIPLE
A greater resistance to vibration includes a greater
damage, therefore the structure should go with the
vibration, like in Frank Llyod Wrights Imperial Hotel, it
survived the earthquake.

TRANSMISSION OF NOISE IN AND OUT OF THE

BUILDING
Noise from outside to inside via an opening
At concessions inside the building but close to the
opening, the noise level is almost the same as if there were
no building at all. Noise level farther away from the opening
depends on the area of the opening in relation to the area of

LIGHTING AND ILLUMINATION

Functions of lighting
1. to afford visibility of objects
2. to secure pleasing and decorative effects

1.
2.
3.

Factors to consider in lighting system

the method that they are used
the properties and capabilities of various equipment
the effect of the lighting system on the space where
it is used as well as on the occupants

Like acoustics, lighting should be incorporated into

the design of the building
Light may either be:
a. natural daylight
b. artificial
1. incandescent
- stimulating effect, conducive to drinking,
induces sleep. Best for bars and nightclubs
2. fluorescent
- emits a light similar to daylight, conducive to
eating, reading, studying, etc.
3. mercury
4. neon
A good architect should use the daylight or natural
lighting, as this is the cheapest kind of light.
THEORY AND FUNDAMENTALS OF LIGHTING
Definition of terms
1. photometry
- the science that deals with the measurement of
light
2. candle power
- refers to the unit of intensity of light of one
standard candle whose light is concentrated at a
point and the light source is assumed to be placed at
the center of a hollow sphere of one foot radius

the illumination at any point on the sphere is

one foot candle (abbreviated ft-s), the unit for the
power or intensity of light.
3. standard candle
-is the brightness of a black body at the temperature
of freezing platinum
4. lumen (abbreviated L)
-is the unit of luminous flux, amount f light falling on
a surface from the source
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LUMEN AND FOOT CANDLE
OR CANDLE POWER
When 1 lumen of flux is uniformly distributed over 1
square foot of area, the illumination at any point on the area
is one-foot candle.
FORMULA FOR ILLUMINATION
Illumination (E) = I / D2
Where:
I = the candle power of the source
D=the distance from the source in feet
For example:
What is the illumination on a surface which is
12 ft from a lamp of 80 candle power (cp)?
Answer:
E= I / D2
E= 80cp / (12ft)2
= 5 / 9 ft-c or 0.555 ft-c

PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES OF LIGHT

1. diffusion

2.

3.
4.

5.

-light rays leaving the source strike a rough, opaque

surface which spreads the light in various directions
-in addition, light is broken up while in reflection, the
light bounces back at a different direction
polarization
-light ray striking a polarized glass causes the
illumination of the horizontal light rays and allows
the vertical rays to penetrate the glass (resulting in
soft lighting)
transmission
-light rays strike a plain (surface) transparent glass
which allows the rays to proceed farther
reflection
-light striking a silvered surface is reflected back with
no diffusion and the angle of incidence is equal to the
angle of deflection
refraction
-light rays striking a clear glass placed at an angle
with respect to the rays are reflected at an angle
within the glass and continues at another angle on
the far side of the glass

CANDLE POWER DISTRIBUTION CURVE

Is a graphic representation of the distribution of light
intensity of a luminaries (container of a source light)
Those at the center of the sphere receives more light
than at the edges
Each kind of light will have its own distribution curve