Questions from Crime and Investigation

Q: List three factors that make investigating arson and explosions particularly difficult for

List three factors that make investigating arson and explosions particularly difficult for forensic scientists.

Q: While searching a murder scene, you find the following items that

While searching a murder scene, you find the following items that you believe may contain latent fingerprints. Indicate whether prints on each item should be developed using fingerprint powder or chem...

Q: Where will an investigator usually locate the probable point of origin of

Where will an investigator usually locate the probable point of origin of a fire? What factors can cause a fire to deviate from normal behavior?

Q: Why are some traces of the accelerants used in an arson usually

Why are some traces of the accelerants used in an arson usually found even after intense fires?

Q: Why might an investigator conduct laboratory tests on unburned control material collected

Why might an investigator conduct laboratory tests on unburned control material collected from a fire scene?

Q: Describe the headspace technique for recovering accelerant residues. What instrument is

Describe the headspace technique for recovering accelerant residues. What instrument is most often used to detect and characterize recovered flammable residues?

Q: What produces the violent physical disruption of the surrounding environment released in

What produces the violent physical disruption of the surrounding environment released in an explosion? Explain how this creates shrapnel when a bomb explodes.

Q: What is an oxidizing agent? Why is an oxidizing agent important

What is an oxidizing agent? Why is an oxidizing agent important to an explosion?

Q: What characteristic of an explosive determines whether it is classified as a

What characteristic of an explosive determines whether it is classified as a low explosive or a high explosive? How is this reflected in the type of pressure wave produced by the explosive?

Q: Name two types of low explosives and list the ingredients of each

Name two types of low explosives and list the ingredients of each.