A foil is a very thin sheet of metal, typically made by hammering or rolling.[1][2] Foils are most easily made with malleable metal, such as aluminium, copper,[3] tin, and gold. Foils usually bend under their own weight and can be torn easily.[2] For example, aluminium foil is usually about 11000 inch (0.025 mm), whereas gold (more malleable than aluminium) can be made into foil only a few atoms thick, called gold leaf. Extremely thin foil is called metal leaf. Leaf tears very easily and must be picked up with special brushes.[citation needed]

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A roll of aluminium foil

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References

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  1. ^ Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopædia. "foil". Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Nov. 2008, https://www.britannica.com/technology/foil-metallurgy. Accessed 11 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b "METAL FOILS". Nanoshel. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  3. ^ "A shortage of copper foil will drive up prices for the red metal".