Abstract: Disclosed is a method/apparatus to determine any one of a plurality of parameters: shape, area, chemical composition, diameter, color, number, thickness, width, length, absorptivity, reflectivity, transmittivity, dielectric constant, raman scattering profile, fluorescence, surface tension, roughness, profile, density, position and orientation. Also use of a plurality of energy beams as source energy: charged and neutral particle beams, gamma-, X-, micro-, optical and acoustic waves. The described apparatus determines the mean and standard deviation of a plurality of diameters of wool fibers, and includes a He-Ne laser (101), and a pinhole (102) which produce an expanding laser beam which passes through cell (105). Beam splitter (103) is operatively disposed to pinhole (102) and laser (101) to direct a portion of the laser beam to reference detector (109) which is electrically connected to processor (110) via line (111).