Reference no: EM133872843

Assignment:

Part A: Answer the following questions on paint evidence

1.) Describe the basic composition of paint. What component of paint evaporates after paint is applied to a surface?

2.) What are the typical coatings of paint used in automotive finishing?

3.) What aspect of the automotive painting process is helpful in forensic characterization of automotive paint? (In other words, what is it about the manufacturers' processes that allow for forensic comparison.)

4.) What characteristics does a criminalist look for when comparing paint chips under a microscope? Which of these characteristics is most important in evaluating the significance of paint evidence?

5.) What type of microscope is typically used for examining paint specimens (and other trace evidence) What characteristics of the microscope make it ideal for locating and examining trace evidence in debris, garments, weapons, and tools?

6.) A thorough comparison of paint must include a chemical analysis of what two properties?

7.) Why must paint collected from a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run accident be taken from the area of the car suspected of being in contact with the victim?

Part B: Answer the following questions on glass evidence.

1.) Besides sand, what are the other ingredients in ordinary glass (2)?

2.) What is tempered glass and how is it made? On what part (or parts) of an automobile is tempered glass used?

3.) What is laminated glass? On what part of an automobile is laminated glass used?

4.) What physical properties are used most often to characterize glass particles? What is the main drawback of using these properties to characterize glass?

5.) What information can be drawn from examining the radial and concentric fractures in glass? How can one determine the sequence of impacts to a pane of glass? (If you are enrolled in the Criminalistics Lab class, this is one of your lab activities.)

6.) How should the crime scene investigator collect and preserve glass evidence (i.e., how much glass should be collected, what should be collected given the examination requested, and what type of evidence container should be used)?

Part C: Answer the following questions on soil evidence

1.) In the forensic analysis of soil, what characteristics increases its value in the comparison process? (In other words, what can be found in soil that it becomes valuable physical evidence?)

2.) What is the first step in a forensic soil comparison?

3.) What is a mineral? How are minerals useful in forensic soil analysis?

4.) From what areas should standard/reference soil samples be collected when gathering soil evidence?

5.) How should soil evidence adhering to shoes and clothing be collected and packaged?

Additional Resources:

PowerPoint Slides - Materials Evidence (Hairs, Fibers, and Soil) (found in PowerPoint folder in the course menu)

PowerPoint Slides - Pattern Evidence - Glass (found in PowerPoint folder in course menu)

Soil Video Lecture - Forensics (6:43) - Renee Blake (For closed caption click on the icon at the bottom of the YouTube screen.)