How does americium-241 help measure the thickness of industrial materials?

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A color-coded periodic table of the elements displays each element's symbol and atomic number, with categories such as alkali metals, noble gases, halogens, transition metals, and actinoid elements distinguished by different background colors. — actinoid element Modern version of the periodic table of the elements (printable).

Americium-241 is utilized in industrial thickness gauges because it emits gamma radiation with a predominant energy of 60 keV.12

When this radiation passes through a material, the amount of energy absorbed depends on the nature of the substance and its thickness. As the radiation travels through the material, its intensity is reduced based on the material's absorption coefficient and the thickness of the layers it traverses. By measuring the extent to which the gamma rays are absorbed or attenuated, these gauges can accurately determine and control the thickness of a wide range of industrial materials.32