What does the sensitometric strip measure when passed through the film processor?

The sensitometric strip is a vital tool in radiographic film processing that provides a quantitative measure of various film characteristics. When this strip is passed through the film processor, it specifically measures fog, speed, and contrast of the film.

Fog refers to the unwanted density on the film caused by stray radiation or processing errors. Measuring fog is essential as it helps determine the baseline density of the film without any useful image information.

Speed indicates how sensitive the film is to radiation. A higher speed means the film requires less exposure to produce an image, which is crucial for optimizing the amount of radiation needed in various applications.

Contrast measures the film's ability to differentiate between different levels of radiation exposure, affecting the quality of the resultant image. A film with good contrast can portray details more effectively, making it easier to identify features or defects in the radiographed object.

While the other options present various aspects related to radiography, they do not directly pertain to what the sensitometric strip measures. Therefore, the combination of fog, speed, and contrast is fundamental to evaluating film performance in the context of radiographic imaging.