BALLISTICS AND BULLET
MATCHING
THREE COMPONENTS OF BALLISTICS:
1.
Casing- Shell casing of the bullet when the gun is fired
2.
3.
Fragment- a piece of a bullet.
Residue- Bullet holes or GSR (the gunshot residue)
HOW CAN THE PATTERN THAT FORMS ON A FIRED
BULLET BE IDENTIFIED?
Bullets can be identified by the unique pattern the barrel made. Each gun has
a different barrel.
HOW CAN THIS PATTERN IDENTIFY THE
WEAPON THE BULLET CAME FROM?
each barrel has different lands and grooves. The "lands" are the raised parts
inside the barrel, and the "grooves" are the recessed portion. The number of
lands and grooves, their size and shape, may assist in determining the make
and the type of weapon that was used.
HOW CAN THE BALLISTIC SCIENCE DETERMINE
IF A PERSON WAS PRESENT IN A CRIME?
No to barrels are the same. The bullet that is shot from the gun has the same
markings from the barrel. This can determine if a person was present in a
crime because, only one gun can have the bullet that was used within the
crime. The scientist match the bullet with that barrel.
HOW CAN THE TRAJECTORY OF THE
BULLET BE DETERMINED?
There is a complex formula to find the trajectory of a bullet.
WHAT DOES THE TRAJECTORY OF THE
BULLET TELL YOU?
Where the bullet was fired from.
TOXICOLOGY
WHAT IS TOXICOLOGY?
The study of the nature, effects, and detection drugs and poisons
WHAT ASPECTS OF TOXICOLOGY IS ESPECIALLY
USEFUL IN FORENSIC SCIENCE?
• Analyzing biological fluids and tissues
• Interpreting the pharmacological effects of a drug
• Analyzing known substances.
WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF DRUG IS
FOUND IN THE VICTIM AT THE TIME OF DEATH?
At the time of death it is difficult to determine the type of drug because, you
don’t know if that was the only drug be used or in the victims system. If there
is a drug that is stronger than another being used, then in some cases you can
only see that there is one drug being used even if there is more than one.