Ever wonder what the “K” followed by a number on light bulbs or LED lights is?
The K you see on lights is the colour temperature in Kelvin. Now what does that mean exactly? Well the “K“,
also known as Kelvin, is a unit of measurement used to measure absolute temperature. 0 degrees K is where nothing is moving at all (0 degrees C is about +273K). K measures the temperature that a black-body radiator emits a certain color of light at.
K is used as a reference number to quickly estimate the light colour of a bulb or LED. Colour temperatures above the 5,000 K mark are cool colours, such as whites and blues. Colours under 5,000 K are warm colours, yellowish white all the way down to red. On this scale, daylight falls between 5,000 K and 6,200 K. Reds, oranges, yellows, whites and blues make up the colour scale. There are no greens or purples or other colours on this scale as light does not emit in those colours.
So, how does this help you as a consumer?
The colour temperature helps you figure out what the colour of the light will be. This helps you find the colour you are looking for faster. Knowing what the colour temperature is helps with planning lighting designs and setups. Especially for rooms or other settings like desks or work spaces.
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