Soils Quiz
• Criminalist Jared Heath responds to the scene of an assault, on an
unpaved lane in a rural area. Rain had fallen steadily the night before,
making the area quite muddy. A suspect with very muddy shoes was
apprehended nearby but claims to have picked up the mud either
from his garden or from the unpaved parking lot of a local restaurant.
Jared uses a spade to remove several samples of soil, each about 2
inches deep, from the immediate crime scene and places each in a
separate plastic vial. He collects the muddy shoes and wraps the in
plastic as well. At the laboratory, he unpacks the soil samples and
examines them carefully, one at a time. He then analyzes the soil on
the shoes to see whether it matches the soil from the crime scene.
List 2 mistakes, if any, that Jared made.
2. What is the logical first step in soil analysis?
a. Examination for presence of debris under low-power
magnification
b. Comparison of dried soil sample for color and texture
c. Use of the density-gradient tube technique
d. Examination of minerals and rocks under high-power
magnification
3. Which would be LEAST useful in identifying a mineral crystal?
a. Size
b. Color
c. Geometric shape
d. Refractive index
4. True or False, Standard/reference soil samples should be collected at
the site of the crime at various intervals within a designated radius of
the crime scene.
5. True or False, If soil is found adhering to an object, the investigator
should remove the soil particles from the object and send them to the
laboratory.
6. A forensic scientist examines a soil sample using a microscope. She
finds small, rounded grains made up of quartz crystals. There are also
small bits of coral present. From this information, what can you
conclude about the origin of the soil.
7. Sand from different locations contains different combinations of
minerals. The most common mineral found in sand is:
a. mica
b. feldspar
c. quartz
d. an iron compound
8. You are sent to collect soil evidence from a house that has been
burglarized. Briefly describe how you would go about collecting
samples.