**Abstract**

In this text, a numerical model using the finite element method (FEM) is developed to describe absorption phenomena using the Beer–Lambert law. Numerical results are compared against experimental measurements made on alpha brass, characterized by photothermal radiometry (PTR). Results from the numerical analysis are in good agreement with the measurements obtained from the radiometry tests. In this technique the material is subjected to a laser heating, producing a thermal wave that is captured with a detector by means of the amplitude and phase parameters. The analysis of the data obtained from six samples provides information about their thermal properties, such as conductivity and diffusivity, which can be correlated with structural changes in a material. Results from this research lead to the characterization of mechanical properties of metallic materials.

**Keywords:** light absorption, Beer–Lambert law, photothermal radiometry, finite element method
