Ballistics Investigation Activity
Ballistics is the study of projectile motion and a critical area of investigation in forensic study. When a projectile is fired from a rifle or handgun, it travels at a specific velocity. A projectile in motion can be described by both horizontal and vertical motions. The motion in two directions is represented mathematically as a […]
Forensic Hair Analysis Activity
Life was long gone from the cold, bloody corpse when the crime scene investigators arrived. The seasoned team soon confirmed the death was a murder, but no footprints, no fingerprints, no weapons were found–a few strands of hair caught in the dead woman’s broken fingernails were the only evidence the killer left behind. Who’s the […]
Blood Evidence Activities
Blood evidence can be analyzed as either biological or physical evidence, making it a powerful specimen for teaching forensics across multiple disciplines. Using biology concepts, investigators can use blood to identify individuals by blood type and DNA. When a suspected sample of blood is discovered at a crime scene, real world applications of chemistry such […]
Development of Latent Fingerprints with Silver Nitrate
Background Three types of fingerprints can be found at a crime scene–plastic, visible, and latent. Plastic impressions are fingerprints left in soft materials such as butter, soap, and putty. Visible prints are prints made when fingers are covered in a substance like blood, dirt, or paint, which leaves a mark on a surface. Latent prints are not visible to the human […]