Forensic Science Honors Exam Review Name______
UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION Chapter 1
1. Define Forensic Science.
2. List the most common departments in a forensic crime lab and what they do.
3. List specialized units or consultants a forensic scientist would use.
4. Explain the three main responsibilities a forensic scientist has doing their job.
5. Define the Locard Principle.
6. Define Civil Law.
7. Define Criminal Law.
8. Define the following:
a) Frye Standard
b) Daubert Ruling
c) Miranda Rights
9. Explain why Miranda Rights are important.
10. Explain how evidence is admitted or not admitted into evidence.
11. Explain what is different about lie detector evidence.
12. Define the 1st amendment as it relates to forensic science.
13. Define the 4th amendment as it relates to forensic science.
14. Define expert testimony.
15. Who decides if a forensic scientist is an expert?
16. When and where was the first crime lab established?
Unit 2 Types of Evidence Chapters 2,3
1. Define the two types of evidence.
2. Briefly describe the Ronald Cotton Case.
3. Based on what evidence was Cotton convicted and what evidence cleared him years later?
4. Define Probative.
5. Identify these six pieces of listed evidence as either high or low probative value.
Evidence / Low Probative / High ProbativeFingerprints
Soil
Paint
DNA
Glass
6. List four things that influence eye witness testimony.
7. Briefly describe the Helle Craft case and why was his conviction unique?
8. Define individual verses class evidence and give four examples of each.
9. List the duties of the first officer at a crime scene.
10. Define crime scene and what are the three primary ways to document the scene
11. Define modus operandi (MO) and give an example.
12. What are the three primary search patterns and identify which one would absolutely require more than one investigator?
13. Describe how the following pieces of evidence are packaged. Blood, arson, firearms, clothing.
14. Briefly describe the Jeffery MacDonald case and what basic proper forensic technique was NOT followed.
15. What are the five manners of death?
16. List five possible causes of death.
Unit 3 Prints Chapters 4, 9 (pgs. 252-253)
1. Define fingerprints.
2. Briefly summarize the anatomy of a fingerprint.
3. In relation to frequency of fingerprint patterns name the three basic patterns.
4. Which fingerprint pattern is the most common?
5. Which fingerprint pattern is the least common?
6. What are the eight basic fingerprint patterns according to a 10 print card?
7. Briefly describe Henry’s method of classifying fingerprints.
8. Define minutia.
9. How many ridge characteristics would be necessary to make a positive comparison with a latent print?
10. What are the three basic types of prints? Where would you find them?
11. What are the three most common methods to visualize (collect) a latent print?\
12. What type of material or surface would each method of developing prints be used on?
13. Define IAFIS.
14. List and define the different lip print types. (pg 252)
UNIT 4 Hair and Fiber Chapters 5,6
1. Draw and label a diagram of the hair including the shaft and root. (figure 5.3)
2. Draw and label the cuticle scale patterns for the mouse, cat and human hair. (figure 5.4)
3. Draw and label the four different medulla patterns.
4. Draw and label the root shapes for human, cat, and dog.
5. Draw and label the three different cross sections of hair including African American, Asian, and Caucasian.
6. Draw and label the different cross sections of animal hair including: dog, cat, and rabbit.
7. Define the three different stages of hair growth.
8. How much does hair grow per month?
9. Explain how hair be considered a “timeline” for detection of heavy metals, poisons, or drugs.
10. Define natural fibers. List 3 examples.
11. Define synthetic fibers. List 3 examples.
12. Explain the difference between natural and synthetic fibers.
13. What the significance of nylon?
14. What is the significance of cotton?
15. Explain how the following tests are used to analyze fiber:
a. burn test
b. density test
c. refractive index
d. fluorescence
e. dyes
f. chromatography
16. Fill in the following chart with the results for lab 6.5.
Odor / Color of Flame / Color of Smoke / Type of ResidueCotton
Wool
Polyester
Nylon
17. Briefly explain the Wayne Williams case study.
18. Briefly explain the Amanda Davies case study.
19. In comparing the Davies and Williams’s case, explain the significance of the fiber evidence and how it was presented to the jury.
UNIT 5 DOCUMENTS CHAPTER 16
1. What types of evidence are analyzed in the ‘document’ section of the crime lab?
a. ______
b. ______
c. ______
d. ______
e. ______
f. ______
g. ______
2. Explain how handwriting examination evolved from class to individual evidence.
3. List the 12 characteristics that handwriting experts analyze.
4. List and define the three most common types of forgery.
5. Define obliterations and indentations.
6. List 8 items, which the forensic scientist would analyze, with paper evidence.
7. What type of material is used to make US currency? (paper money)
8. List the different types of cybercrimes.
9. Describe the following analytical techniques and how they would be used to examine documents.
a. Microscope.
b. Infrared photography
c. Electrostatic detection
d. Fluorescence
e. chromatography
UNIT 7 Ballistics and Impressions Chapter 15
1. List and define the different types of firearms.
a. air gun/ BB gun
b. handgun/pistol
c. rifle
d. shotgun
2. Define the following vocabulary words:
a. Caliber
b. Bore
c. Gauge
d. Shot
e. Slug
f. Grains
g. Rifled
h. Lands
i. Gooves
j. Striae
k. Cannelures
l. Head stamp
m. Breech
n. Extractor
o. Ejector
p. Magazine
q. Chamber
3. What is the Griess Test and why is it important?
4. What is GSR and how is it tested?
5. Explain how the following can be individualized evidence
a. Shoe print
b. Tire print
c. Bit mark
d. Tire marks
6. How would tire burn residue be analyzed in a forensic lab?
7. Briefly summarize the forensic significance of the Ted Bundy case including the key piece of evidence for this case.
Case Studies:
JFK
1. Briefly summarize the JFK assassination.
2. What is the forensic significance of the JFK assassination?
3. What specific weapon was used to assassinate JFK?
4. What is the significance of the Zapurder film?
5. In what city and state was JFK when he was assassinated?
6. Where was the official autopsy performed?
Dennis Rader (BTK)
1. Briefly summarize the BTK case.
2. List items that were in his “kill kit”.
3. What does BTK stand for?
4. What was his job in his church?
5. How did he communicate with the police? Media?
6. List the key pieces of evidence in the BTK case.
7. What specific piece of evidence lead to his capture?
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