What is CODIS? How is CODIS useful to forensic scientists?
> A newly synthesized drug, called MET, is identified by the DEA. What drug schedule should this drug be classified under, given the following established characteristics? • High potential for abuse • A potential medical use requiring severe restrictions
> Many factors affect the intensity of drug dependence in any given individual. For each item of information about a drug abuser’s life given below, indicate whether the factor would likely yield a high (+) or low (–) level of dependence. a. daily, schedu
> During a microscopic comparison of two hairs, a trace analyst compares the medullae of the hairs to determine species of origin and, if possible, human origin of the hairs. What is the difference between the medullae of human and animal hairs? Name one e
> What two features make hair a good subject for establishing individual identity? To which layer of the hair shaft are much of these features attributed?
> Using the floatation method, three pieces of soda-lime glass are placed in three separate cylinders containing a solution with a density of 1.67 g/mL. Glass fragment (A) floats, glass fragment (B) is suspended in the middle of the solution, and glass fra
> At the scene of a vehicle vandalism, fragments of soda-lime glass, tempered glass, and laminated glass are found inside the vehicle. From where could these types of glass originated?
> Which absorption spectrum is equivalent to a “fingerprint” of a substance and can be used for identification purposes? A) Visible B) IR C) UV D) X-ray 42) Gas chromatography suffers a big drawback in that it does not produce specific identification.
> For each of the impressions listed below, determine which characteristics are class characteristics and which are individual characteristics. a. Screwdriver pry mark: 0.5 inch wide, filings of stainless steel imbedded in mark, rounded edges, center half-
> Discuss five factors that influence the amount of gunpowder residue deposited on a target.
> Discuss some advantages and disadvantages of using a stereoscopic microscope. What is an example of evidence you may examine using a stereoscopic microscope?
> Imagine you are placing a slide on a compound microscope for examination. Describe each part of the microscope you would handle and adjust to complete this process.
> How can a scanning electron microscope be used to identify the elements present in a specimen?
> What happens to a light beam that passes through a polarizing crystal? What happens when plane-polarized light passes through a second polarizing crystal set perpendicular to the first crystal?
> Briefly describe how a comparison microscope works and what it is used for.
> Describe the process of using each generation of mobile device to create a timeline and correlate events on the device.
> Even though mobile devices are really small computers with computer-like OSs, they usually cannot be examined using typical computer forensic tools. Elaborate on some of the differences between examining a 4G smartphone and a computer.
> Describe the two different types of chain of evidence and how they can be used in the investigative process.
> The Controlled Substance Act established five schedules of classification for substances based on the drugs: A) Medical value. B) Potential for physical dependence. C) Potential for psychological dependence. D) All of the above 32) The Marquis reagen
> What value can be gleaned from each generation of mobile device (1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G)? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
> List four mobile services that are offered on today’s mobile devices and explain their potential evidentiary value.
> What does IP stand for in IP address? What function can an IP address serve in a forensic investigation?
> What are the three areas in which an investigator can find visible data on a computer?
> What type of memory stores software programs and instructions while the computer is turned on? What special considerations must be taken to preserve this type of memory on a computer at a crime scene?
> What is hacking? Who most commonly engages in hacking, and for what purpose?
> What is the purpose of an Internet cache?
> What is fragmentation? What effect does fragmentation have on a hard disk drive (HDD)?
> Name two situations in which an investigator would not immediately unplug a computer at an electronic crime scene.
> What aspects of a computer should be photographed close-up at an electronic crime scene?
> Barbiturates act to: A) Produce sleep. B) Create a feeling of well-being. C) Promote relaxation. D) All of the above 22) Which is true of the use of mild tranquilizers? A) They impair high-thinking faculties. B) They induce sleep. C) They do not p
> List five objects that may be referred to as questioned documents if they were to be discovered at a crime scene. What makes a document a questioned document?
> Name five important characteristics of a printer, photocopier, or fax machine that a document examiner must identify when analyzing a document in a situation where the suspect machine is not available.
> What are natural variations? How can they be useful for detecting forgeries?
> Describe two situations in which a document examiner may be prevented from coming to a positive conclusion about a questioned document.
> What is the main advantage of analyzing accelerant residues from a fire using the vapor concentration technique over the headspace technique?
> What are the three mechanisms of heat transfer? What is the difference between them?
> A bottle of gasoline sitting at room temperature does not spontaneously burst into flame, and yet gasoline is an excellent fire accelerant. Based on your knowledge of the chemical reactions that initiate and sustain fire, what needs to happen to that gas
> What produces the violent physical disruption of the surrounding environment released in an explosion? Explain how this creates shrapnel when a bomb explodes.
> What is an oxidizing agent? Why is an oxidizing agent important to an explosion?
> What are the two classes of high explosives? What is the difference between the two classes?
> Which drug is often incorrectly classified as a narcotic? A) Heroin B) Morphine C) Marijuana D) Codeine 12) Which part of cannabis contains the LEAST amount of THC? A) Seeds B) Flower C) Leaf D) Resin 13) What is the most potent form of marijuan
> In the design of a polarizing microscope, the polarizer is placed between the: A) Specimen and the analyzer. B) Analyzer and the eyepiece. C) Light source and the sample stage. D) Sample stage and the analyzer. 12) Normally with a polarizing microsc
> 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?
> List three common signs of arson at a fire scene.
> Explain the proper collection of evidence at the origin of a fire that is suspected of being initiated by gasoline. Describe the proper submission of controls for laboratory examination.
> What are the three components that make up a nucleotide? Which component consists of four different components, the order of which determines the genetic code of an individual?
> List four ways to minimize contamination of biological evidence.
> Name two advantages and two disadvantages of mitochondrial DNA analysis compared to nuclear DNA analysis.
> List two advantages STRs have over restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs).
> Describe the process of DNA replication. What is the importance of DNA replication?
> A forensic scientist is examining a pair of underwear with a suspected seminal stain. What tests should she perform on the underwear? What does a positive reaction for each test indicate?
> What is the percentage of evidence evaluated in the crime lab that is drug-related? A) 25% B) 75% C) 60% D) 35% 2) The pattern and intensity of dependency on a drug does NOT depend on the: A) Cost of the drug. B) Individual’s rate of metabolism. C)
> An individual’s father has a genotype of Tt at one locus. The mother has a genotype of TT. What are the possible genotypes for their child? Identify the likelihood of inheriting each specific genotype, and if each type is homozygous or heterozygous.
> The most widespread application of serology is the typing of whole blood for its A-B-O identity. Why do these tests matter to the forensic scientist?
> What is the difference between an antibody and an antigen? What happens when an antibody reacts with its specific antigen?
> To determine the human or non-human origin of a blood sample, the forensic scientist needs antibodies for each species of interest. Briefly describe how antibodies capable of reacting are produced in animals.
> What type of packaging should NOT be used for biological evidence? Why? What type of packaging should be used instead for articles containing biological evidence?
> The victim of a rape is found dead in her apartment. Describe the proper collection and preservation of the semen-stained clothing. Emphasize the proper collection of controls from the victim and suspect.
> Loose soil, soil adhering to a garment, and lumps of soil adhered to a car are found at a crime scene. How must the investigator collect and package each?
> Describe how you would conduct a visual examination of soil. What distinguishing characteristics would you look for?
> Describe the proper collection and preservation of paint evidence from an automobile suspected of being involved in a hit-and-run incident. Paint that is foreign to the suspect automobile is observed on the hood.
> A suspect has been found miles from the scene of a murder. Soil is found adhering to the suspect’s shoe. Describe the proper collection and preservation of soil evidence that will permit a thorough comparison of the soil on the shoe to soil at the crime
> Synthetic fibers display ________ because they are crystalline. A) High density B) Infrared reflectance C) Dispersive properties D) Birefringence 52) A hair sample was examined and its medulla appeared to have a pattern described as resembling a string
> Describe the process of neutron activation analysis. How does the process allow a forensic scientist to identify an isotope?
> How does a nuclear reactor generate radioactive elements?
> Explain how the analysis of trace elements was important to the investigation of the assassination of President John. F. Kennedy.
> What organization recommended an “implied consent” law, and what does that law entail?
> Explain the facts behind why a breath test for alcohol is an accurate representation of the alcohol content of the blood.
> Explain the DRE program.
> What are acids and bases? How are they used to extract and categorize drugs?
> When collecting postmortem blood samples for alcohol determination, why is it best to collect a number of blood samples from different body sites?
> Name and describe two divided-attention tasks administered during a field sobriety text.
> What is mouth alcohol and how does it affect the accuracy of a breath test? Name three potential sources of mouth alcohol.
> Which of the following properties should be examined when comparing two fibers? A) Color B) Diameter C) Birefringence D) All of the above 42) The cortex of hair derives its major forensic importance from the fact that it contains: A) Scales. B) Pigments
> What are alveoli and what role do they play in circulation?
> List and describe the three stages of alcohol’s fate in the human body.
> In your own words, describe the steps that take place inside a mass spectrometer when a compound enters the instrument.
> Summarize the ideal methods involved in the proper collection of drug evidence.
> Consider the drugs morphine and marijuana. Describe the likelihood of psychological and physical dependence of each. Under what schedule of the Controlled Substances Act do they each fall, and why?
> Briefly describe the basic process of spectrophotometry.
> What three chromatographic processes are most applicable for solving analytical problems typically encountered in the crime laboratory? What is the main advantage of each?
> Briefly describe the basic chromatographic process. Be sure to explain how motion is important to the process.
> Describe how a microcrystalline test works. Name two advantages of microcrystalline tests.
> What is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States? Under what class of drugs is it listed and what are its short-term physical and psychological effects at low to moderate doses?
> It is a virtual certainty that two fabrics share a common origin if their fibers: A) Can be fitted together at their torn edges. B) Have the same striations. C) Have the same color. D) Appear identical in cross-section. 32) Before the 20th century, al
> Arrange the following parts or products of the Cannabis plant in order of THC content, from highest to lowest concentration of THC: flowers, leaves, resin, seeds, stem.
> Synthetic opiates may be encountered as drug evidence. Depending on their use, they may be considered illicit. What are the most common synthetic opiates and what therapeutic purposes can each be used for? What illicit purposes can each be used for?
> What is the difference between a screening test and a confirmation test?
> Name two natural fibers and two manufactured fibers. If all four of these fibers were found at a crime scene, what would be the proper procedure for their collection and preservation?
> Describe the process of comparing two fibers via microscopic and analytical methods. What morphological characteristics should a criminalist compare in these steps?
> Why must questioned hairs and standard/reference hairs being compared come from the same area of the body?
> Name the three phases of hair growth. A criminalist is more likely to collect DNA from hairs in which stage of growth? Why?
> Describe three analytical techniques for comparing the color of two fibers.
> In comparing hairs, what aspects of the hair is the criminalist particularly interested in matching? Name at least one other important feature that the criminalist might compare.
> Name and briefly define the three layers of the hair shaft.
> Which is NOT a synthetic fiber? A) Rayon B) Polyester C) Acrylic D) All of the above are synthetic 22) Which is made of natural polymers? A) Plastic B) Nylon C) Starch D) Paint 23) When collecting fiber evidence, great care should be taken to:
> What is refraction? How does the refractive index of a medium affect what the viewer observes when looking at the medium?
> What is a physical property? What is a chemical property? Name one physical and chemical property of water.
> A criminalist is attempting to find the side of a glass pane from which a shattering force originated. How can that be determined when examining a fragment from a radial crack? A concentric crack?
> What two models do scientists use to explain the nature of light? Under what conditions does each model best describe the behavior of light?
> What physical properties are used most often to characterize glass particles? What is the main drawback of using these properties to characterize glass?
