Name: ________________________________________ Date: __________________________
Forensic Midterm Exam Review
Chapter 1
1. Define forensic science.
2. Why has the number of crime laboratories increased since the mid 1950’s?
3. Describe the Basic services of crime labs.
Physical science Unit –
Biology Unit –
Firearms Unit –
Photography Unit 4. Describe Optional crime laboratory services.
Toxicology Unit –
Latent Fingerprint Unit –
CSI Unit 5. Who am I ? From the list of occupations we have studied, identify the occupation of the person that
would serve in the situation….
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I am the person that would judge the time of death by the stage of the maggots living in the body.
Who am I ? _________________________________
I am the person that does the autopsy…. Who am I? _________________________________
I am the person that analyzes a sample for drugs. Who am I? ________________________________
I am the person that identifies a dead body by the teeth…… who am I ? _______________________
I am the person that can determine if a victim is female or male by analyzing the bones
____________________________
I am the person that determines if a person knows right from wrong and is competent enough to
stand trial…. Who am I? _________________________________
I am the specialist that reconstructs the crime scene and determines how the accident or
structural failure occurred. _________________________________
6. Explain how both the a) Frye Standard and b) Daubert Ruling decisions set guidelines for determining
the admissibility of scientific evidence in the courtroom.
7. List 3 functions of a forensic scientist.
8. Explain the role and responsibilities of an expert witness. Describe the qualifications an expert
witness must possess.
9. What is anthropometry? Who developed this?
Chapter 2
10. Define physical science.
11. What responsibilities does the first officer at a crime scene have? How do they preserve and protect
the scene?
12. What are three methods for crime-scene recording?
13. What are the prerequisites for photographing a crime scene?
14. What is the difference between a rough sketch and a finished sketch?
15. What must a rough sketch contain?
16. Describe the garments investigators wear at crime scenes when collecting evidence.
17. How should different types of evidence be packaged for further processing: evidence containing
bodily fluids, arson evidence, firearms, glass?
18. How is the chain of custody maintained?
19. What is a standard/reference sample? What are some examples?
20. Stages of Death
Time of Occurrence
Indicate whether the statement is true or false. Correct the statement if false.
____ 1. A forensic scientist must link evidence to a crime and to the suspects by identifying and
comparing relevant material.
____ 2. If a crime scene investigator takes photos of a crime scene, it is not necessary to take notes.
____ 3. The first officer on the scene is responsible for taking crime scene photos.
____ 4. A person is determined to be an expert by a prosecutor
____ 5. The biology unit would analyze soil.
____ 6. Polygraphs (lie detectors) are not admissible in a court of law.
____ 7. A crime seene is only where the victim is found.
____ 8. Blood evidence at a crime scene should be packaged in an airtight container to prevent leakage.
____ 9. Standard/reference samples are collected from known suspects or the victim.
____10. The computerized database used to store DNA information is ATF.
11.The collection of standard reference samples at the crime scene is important because they
A) prove the continuity of possession
B) permit comparisons to be made with the evidence
C) prevent the laboratory from making mistakes
D) serve as a source of extra test material if required in the crime lab
12.What part of a decedent's body resists rapid decomposition and is used by forensic anthropologists to
provide information about the decedent?
13.The body’s core temperature falls about 1.5°F (about 0.8°C) per hour after death. A corpse was discovered
in an apartment last November. It was that of a 50-year-old male who died of a heart attack. At the time of
discovery, the body temperature was determined to be 89°F. Normal body temperature is 98.6 F. What is the
most probable post mortem interval in hours?
28.A technique for separating and tentatively identifying the components of a mixture is:
a. Spectrophotometry
b. Densitometry
c. Chromatography
d. Mass spectrometry
31. A compound can tentatively be identified by gas chromatography from its:
a. Rf value
b. Partition coefficient
c. Retention time
d. Peak height
33. The recorder of an absorption spectrophotometer measures the:
a. Rf value of light
b. Retention time of light
c. Absorption of light at specific frequencies
d. Refractive index of light
color tests
81.The examination of a paint chip found on a hit-and-run victim's garment side-by-side with paint removed
from a vehicle suspected of being involved in the incident is an example of
A) classification
B) individualization
C) taxonomy
D) comparison
The manner of collecting and preserving physical evidence at a crime scene is determined by …
Individual vs class examples of those
Identification versus comparison
Rf .2/3 .4/3
What is pyrex glass