Download YCHS Forensic Science

Yuba City High School
Forensic Science
Semester 1 Final: Study Guide
Unit #1 Criminalistics and The Crime Scene
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Define the scope of forensic science and the professions it includes.
2. Detail the history and development of forensic science.
3. Discuss the organization of a crime laboratory and the functions it serves.
4. List and discuss the ways in which a forensic scientist processes a crime scene.
5. Identify the legal considerations at a crime scene.
Unit #2 Physical Evidence and Their Properties
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. List and explain the most common types of physical evidence.
2. Explain how physical evidence is used for identification and comparison purposes.
3. Distinguish between individual and class characteristics of physical evidence.
4. Discuss the role of physical evidence in crime scene reconstruction.
5. Use the metric system for quantifying and analyzing data.
6. Determine the physical properties of temperature, weight, mass, density, and refractive index.
Unit #3 Glass and Soil
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Discuss the importance of glass fragments and fractures in a criminal investigation.
2. Outline a procedure for collecting and preserving glass evidence.
3. Explain how a forensic scientist determines the densities of small glass fragments by floatation.
4. Describe the process used to compute the refractive indices of small glass samples by comparison to knowns.
5. Detail the forensic characteristics of soil and how it can be applied to a criminal case.
6. Discuss the proper means for collecting and preserving soil evidence.
Unit #4 Organic and Inorganic Analysis
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. List and discuss the generalized characteristics of elements and compounds.
2. Outline a process for selecting an analytical technique for identifying elements and compounds on evidence left
at a crime scene.
3. Classify the use and limitations of chromatography, spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry, and X-ray
diffraction.
4. Discuss how the emission spectrum of elements and the atomic absorption spectrophotometry aid in the
enhancement of evidence.
Unit #5 The Microscope
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Properly use a compound microscope and a stereoscopic microscope to make observations.
2. Classify the six types of microscopes.
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3.
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Discuss the use and limitations of each of the six types of microscopes.
Outline the use of microscopes in identifying trace evidence at a crime scene.
Unit #6 Hairs, Fibers, and Paint
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. List and discuss the general morphology of hair.
2. Identify and compare hair fibers of human, animal and plant sources.
3. Outline a systematic procedure for collection and identification for hair evidence.
4. List the major types of fibers and list key characteristics of each.
5. Identify and compare the major types of man-made fibers.
6. Discuss how to examine paint using microscopy and chemical analysis.
7. List how to collect and preserve paint evidence.
Review Chapters 1-8 (pp. 1-227) in Criminalistics, 7th ed. (Saferstein).
Study all end-of-chapter review questions.
Be able to do the following lab tasks:
1- Make visual observations at a crime scene and ask questions about the evidence.
2- Use deductive reasoning and knowledge of phenotypes and genotypes to eliminate suspects in a possible felony
murder case. Identify basic fingerprint patterns found within any given population.
3- Discuss the plausibility of a crime solution (e.g., the Fire Marshal’s theory).
4- Recognize, find, collect, safeguard, document, package, and preserve evidence found at crime scenes.
5- Collect trace materials from clothing items, package them, seal them, and mark them for identification. Remove
trace evidence for examination and examine tape lifts under a stereomicroscope. Establish chain of custody and
discuss its importance to our legal system.
6- Make a number of measurements, including length, mass, and liquid volume determinations; Determine
variations of measurements of the same items by multiple students; Determine standard deviations (variabilities) of
measurements, and determine density of glass by measurement of mass and volume of shards.
7- Use photographs of a shoe sole to discuss the basic concepts of identification and individualization. Identify,
characterize, and individualize other objects.
8- Analyze glass chips by measuring the refractive index of the glass.
9- Analyze glass fractures and direction of force.
10- Use pH in the examination and comparison of soil specimens.
11- Use chromatography to determine whether a document in question was written with one or two ink pens.
12- Use colorimetry to determine whether a suspect solution matches the known solution in concentration.
13- Use colorimetry to determine whether a soil sample found on a suspect matches the soil sample from the crime
scene.
14- Use a spectroscope to determine which trace element(s) are contained in the suspect’s wrench and whether they
match the trace elements found in the accuser’s tool set.
15- Use a microscope to match matches.
16- Use a stereoscope to compare firing pin impressions.
17- Use a microscope to compare hairs and determine species based on medullary index.
18- Use a microscope to compare paint chips.
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