Forensic Science and Criminal Justice
Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Forensic Science and Criminal Justice explores the intersection between scientific methods and the legal system, focusing on how forensic evidence is collected, analyzed, and presented in criminal investigations and trials. The course covers key topics such as crime scene investigation, forensic biology and chemistry, fingerprint analysis, DNA profiling, and the role of expert witnesses. Students will examine the ethical, legal, and procedural challenges involved in the use of forensic evidence, as well as its impact on the administration of justice. Through case studies and practical exercises, students gain an understanding of both the capabilities and limitations of forensic science in supporting justice and upholding the rule of law.
Recommended Textbook
Criminalistics An Introduction to Forensic Science 12th Edition by Richard Saferstein
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Chapter 1: Introduction
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Sample Questions
Q1) The ________ witness evaluates evidence that the court lacks the expertise to do.
Answer: Expert
Q2) One major problem of the forensic DNA community is the backlog of unanalyzed DNA samples.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) The United States has no national system of forensic laboratories.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) What factor(s)do(es)the court usually take into consideration as sufficient grounds for qualification as an expert witness?
A) Experience
B) Training
C) Education
D) All of the above
Answer: D
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Chapter 2: The Crime Scene
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Sample Questions
Q1) A(n)________ control consists of uncontaminated surface material close to an area where physical evidence has been deposited.
Answer: Substrate
Q2) Describe the basic functions of a command center.What kind of equipment must a command center contain?
Answer: Answer (should include points such as):
A command center serves as a place where members of the investigative team receive their assignments,store their equipment,and meet to talk discuss aspects of the case. The command center can also be a center for communication between investigators at multiple crime scenes.
The command center must contain the basic equipment needed to photograph,sketch,process,and collect evidence.
Q3) The obligation to maintain the integrity of evidence belongs to the first police officer at the scene only.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 3: Physical Evidence
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Sample Questions
Q1) To calculate the overall frequency of occurrence of a blood type in a population,the ________ can be applied by using a series of blood factors that occur independently of each other.
A) Locard's exchange principle
B) Multiplication table
C) Tangent method
D) Product rule
Answer: D
Q2) The value of class physical evidence lies in its ability to:
A) State with certainty the identity of the perpetrator.
B) Corroborate events with data in a manner nearly without bias.
C) Determine the probability of the occurrence of an event.
D) Determine the quality of forensic analyses carried out on the evidence.
Answer: B
Q3) Blood,hair,and fingerprints are some types of ________ evidence that are commonly found at crime scenes.
Answer: Physical
Q4) IAFIS is maintained by the ________.
Answer: FBI
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Chapter 4: Crime Scene Reconstruction: Blood Stain Pattern
Analysis
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Q1) The velocity at which blood strikes a surface is not useful to describe the specific events that produced the spatter pattern.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Generally,bloodstain diameter ________ as height increases.
A) Decreases
B) Remains unchanged
C) Increases
D) Increases lengthwise and decreases widthwise
Q3) Which weapon would create cast-off patterns consisting of small droplets in a linear pattern?
A) Baseball bat
B) Knife
C) Wooden plank
D) All of the above
Q4) The less blood on an object,the smaller the stains produced.
A)True
B)False
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Q5) ________ spatter is projected outward and away from the source.
Q6) Cast-off patterns can show the ________ number of blows.
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Chapter 5: Death Investigation
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Sample Questions
Q1) The rate of cooling of a dead body can be influenced by all BUT the:
A) Weather conditions.
B) Location.
C) Size of body.
D) Gender of victim.
Q2) Characteristic markings on the skin caused from the discharge of a firearm is known as:
A) Staining.
B) Stippling.
C) Tattooing.
D) Both B and C
Q3) A forensic anthropologist may help to create a(n)________ to help with the identification of the victim.
A) Autopsy chart
B) Dental profile
C) Fingerprint chart
D) Facial reconstruction
Q4) A contusion can sometimes exhibit the ________ of the weapon used.
Q5) Petechiae are caused by the escaping of blood into the tissue as a result of ________ bursting.
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Chapter 6: Fingerprints
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Sample Questions
Q1) Four common chemical methods for visualizing latent prints are SuperGlue fuming,ninhydrin,Physical Developer,and ________ fuming.
Q2) The value of ridge patterns in determining the uniqueness of a fingerprint is ________ the value of type and position of ridge characteristics in determining the uniqueness of a fingerprint.
A) Greater than
B) The same as C) Less than
Q3) Describe the basic process used to "lift" a fingerprint.When should this procedure be used?
Q4) The perspiration in fingerprints contains a variety of components that fluoresce when illuminated by laser light.
A)True
B)False
Q5) ________ fingerprints are formed when a finger touches a surface and transfers perspiration,along with oils onto the surface.
Q6) The ________ fundamental principle of fingerprints is that a fingerprint remains unchanged during an individual's lifetime.
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Chapter 7: Forensic Biometrics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which facial recognition technique uses thousands of stored images of faces and places them over the face in question?
A) PCA
B) LDA
C) CCTV
D) EBGM
Q2) Early researchers in facial recognition used ________ to automate facial recognition in an attempt to identify and authenticate individuals from a series of faces.
Q3) Linear discriminant analysis is considered a model-based facial recognition.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The ________ controls the amount of light that enters the eye.
Q5) The FBI's internal unit ________ contains civil photos from state and federal government databases,such as visa applicant photos and selected states' driver's license photos.
Q6) To be enrolled in IPS,all face photos must include a ________ submission of the individual.
Q7) Explain the collection steps in gathering biometric data.
Q8) The human iris will go physically ________ for the life of the user.
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Chapter 8: The Microscope
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Sample Questions
Q1) The image produced by an SEM is initially displayed on:
A) An X-ray analyzer.
B) Photographic paper.
C) An X-ray film.
D) A cathode ray tube.
Q2) What instrument can be used to view a single fiber found at a crime scene and identify its generic class?
A) Infrared microspectrophotometer
B) Stereoscopic microscope
C) Polarizing microscope
D) Both A and C
Q3) Which microscope provides a right-side-up image?
A) Comparison
B) Stereoscopic
C) Compound
D) Polarizing
Q4) Pollen grains are the single-celled male ________ of seed-bearing plants.
Q5) If the ________ on two bullets viewed through a comparison microscope are alike,the examiner can conclude that both bullets traveled through the same barrel.
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Chapter 9: Firearms, tool Marks, and Other Impressions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Chokes are sometimes found on shotguns where they function to constrict the end of the barrel.The speed and distance traveled by pellets fired from a narrow choke is ________ the speed and distance traveled by pellets fired from a shotgun with a wide choke.
A) The same as
B) Greater than
C) Less than
D) None of the above
Q2) Dust imprints found at a crime scene can be lifted using:
A) Photographic paper.
B) A silicone casting medium.
C) A scanning electron lifter.
D) An electrostatic lifting device.
Q3) ________ refers to the spiral grooves impressed in the bore of a firearm barrel.
Q4) Two elements detected on the hands of an individual who has recently fired a weapon are:
A) Zinc and copper
B) Antimony and barium
C) Barium and nitrates
D) Antimony and iron
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Chapter 10: Matter, light, and Glass Examination
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Q1) One milliliter of a liquid is ________ 1cc of the same liquid.
A) The same as
B) Greater than
C) Less than
D) None of the above
Q2) When tempered glass breaks,it does not shatter.
A)True
B)False
Q3) One inch is equivalent to ________ centimeters.
Q4) If glass cannot be physically pieced together then the control and question glass are best compared as to their:
A) Color and density.
B) Weight and density.
C) Refractive index and density.
D) Refractive index and weight.
Q5) ________ solids have only one refractive index.
Q6) A piece of glass that is floating on the liquid's surface shows that the density of the glass is ________ than the density of the liquid.
Q7) Describe the process of floatation and explain what it is used for.
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Chapter 11: Hairs and Fibers
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which would produce "fingerprints" of the fibers?
A) Examination of dye composition using visible light microspectrophotometer
B) Make a cross sectional view of the fibers
C) Microscopic examination for color and diameter of fibers
D) Infrared spectrophotometry
Q2) During a microscopic comparison of two hairs,a trace analyst compares the medullae of the hairs to determine species of origin and,if possible,human origin of the hairs.What is the difference between the medullae of human and animal hairs?
Name one exception to this among humans that may help in these determinations.
Q3) Generally,the parallel refractive index of a fiber is ________ the perpendicular refractive index of the same fiber.
A) The same as
B) Less than
C) Greater than
D) None of the above
Q4) The ________ is embedded with pigment granules that give hair its color.
Q5) The three basic cuticle patterns are coronal,spinous,and ________.
Q6) Forcibly removed hairs often bear follicular tags that are rich sources of ________ DNA.
Page 14
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Chapter 12: Drugs
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Q1) ________ law states that the quantity of light absorbed at any frequency is directly proportional to the concentration of material absorbing it.
Q2) Briefly describe the basic process of spectrophotometry.
Q3) Scott Test solutions can indicate the presence of:
A) Marijuana.
B) Cocaine.
C) Codeine.
D) Librium.
Q4) The last step in a thin-layer chromatographic analysis is ________.
Q5) Potential medical uses of marijuana include reduction of eye pressure in ________,lessening of nausea caused by anticancer drugs,and as a muscle relaxant.
Q6) The use of which drug will NOT lead to physical dependence?
A) Barbiturates
B) Heroin
C) Cocaine
D) Alcohol
Q7) ________ dependence is the conditioned use of a drug caused by underlying emotional needs.
Q8) Methadone and OxyContin are two ________ opiates.
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Chapter 13: Forensic Toxicology
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Sample Questions
Q1) Some breath-testing devices for alcohol use ________ light to measure the quantity of alcohol trapped in a chamber.
A) Visible
B) Ultraviolet
C) Infrared
D) Colored
Q2) Of the following,which is an acid drug?
A) Aspirin
B) Cocaine
C) Methadone
D) PCP
Q3) An alcoholic disinfectant should be applied to a subject's skin before drawing blood.
A)True
B)False
Q4) List and describe the three stages of alcohol's fate in the human body.
Q5) Arteries carry blood ________ from the heart while veins carry blood toward the heart.
Q6) What are alveoli and what role do they play in circulation?
Q7) About 95-98 percent of alcohol is oxidized to water and ________.
Page 16
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Chapter 14: Metals, paint, and Soil
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Sample Questions
Q1) Automobile finishes typically contain which layers?
A) Colorcoat
B) An electrocoat primer, colorcoat, and clearcoat
C) Clearcoat
D) Electrocoat primer and colorcoat
Q2) Which of the following statements is correct?
A) All atoms of an element have the same atomic mass number.
B) All atoms of an element have the same number of protons.
C) All atoms of an electron have the same number of neutrons.
D) All atoms of an element have an equal number of neutrons and electrons.
Q3) Neutron activation analysis involves bombarding specimens with neutrons and then measuring the resultant:
A) X rays.
B) Gamma rays.
C) Beta particles.
D) Alpha particles.
Q4) ________ as physical evidence is most frequently encountered in hit-and-run cases.
Q5) Alpha particles are a type of radiation composed of ________ atoms minus their orbiting electrons.
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Chapter 15: Forensic Serology
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Q1) When serum containing B antibodies is added to red blood cells carrying the B antigen,the blood ________.
Q2) What three questions must the criminalist answer when examining dried blood? Which tests or analysis tools can be used to answer each question?
Q3) People with type O blood have both A and B antigens on their red blood cells.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A(n)________ is a protein in the blood serum that destroys or inactivates a specific antigen.
Q5) The most common color test for bloodstains is Luminol.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Which of the following statements is false?
A) Dried bloodstains may tentatively be identified as blood by a peroxidase test.
B) All bloods contain the enzyme peroxidase.
C) A-B-O antigens are present in all human blood.
D) The Kastle-Meyer test is used to determine whether blood is of human origin.
Q7) ________ is the study of antigen and serum antibody reactions.
Q8) Type ________ blood is the least common.
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Chapter 16: DNA: the Indispensable Forensic Science Tool
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Q1) Which nitrogenous base is NOT found in DNA?
A) Thymine
B) Cytosine
C) Uracil
D) Adenine
Q2) The PCR technique requires the use of a thermal cycler to:
A) Synthesize protein.
B) Copy DNA.
C) Make probes radioactive.
D) Hydrolyze polymerase.
Q3) Which statement is not correct for Y-STRs?
A) Female STRs will not yield a Y-STR profile.
B) Y-STRs can be amplified by PCR.
C) Y-STR types are typically shorter in length as compared to X-STRs.
D) A typical Y-STR pattern has one band.
Q4) The four bases associated with DNA are adenine,cytosine,guanine,and ________.
Q5) The more STRs a forensic scientist can characterize,the greater is the likelihood that they originated from two different individuals.
A)True
B)False
Page 19
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Chapter 17: Forensic Aspects of Fire and Explosion Investigation
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Q1) List three common signs of arson at a fire scene.
Q2) Examples of secondary explosives do NOT include:
A) TNT
B) PETN
C) RDX
D) Lead azide
Q3) Which is an initiating explosive often used in detonators?
A) Lead azide
B) PETN
C) TNT
D) Dynamite
Q4) A fire will burn until either the oxygen or the fuel is exhausted.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What is radiation?
A) Movement of heat through a solid object
B) Transfer of heat energy from a heated surface to a cooler surface
C) Transfer of heat energy by movement of molecules within a liquid or gas
D) None of the above
Q6) ________ is an explosive consisting of ammonium nitrate soaked in fuel oil. Page 20
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Chapter 18: Document Examination
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Q1) When comparing sample writing to a suspect document,the age difference between the documents should be no more than six to twelve months.
A)True
B)False
Q2) With regard to the constitutionality of obtaining handwriting exemplars,the courts have ruled all of the following EXCEPT:
A) Such action does not constitute unreasonable search and seizure of a person.
B) It is not in violation of Fourth Amendment rights.
C) Fifth Amendment privileges apply.
D) None of the above
Q3) When a suspect computer printer is not available,the examiner may need to analyze the document's ________ to identify the make and model of the machine.
A) Handwriting
B) Individual characteristics
C) TTI
D) Class characteristics
Q4) ________ printers include thermal and dot-matrix printers.
Q5) ________ printers include inkjet and laser printers.
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Chapter 19: Computer Forensics
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Q1) A computer forensic investigator would most likely look for latent data in temporary files.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What type of memory stores software programs and instructions while the computer is turned on?
What special considerations must be taken to preserve this type of memory on a computer at a crime scene?
Q3) Which of the following are NOT considered to be classified as software?
A) Operating systems
B) Word processors
C) Web browsers
D) Floppy disks
Q4) A directory or index cataloging the content of the Internet is called:
A) The World Wide Web.
B) A search engine.
C) A web browser.
D) An IPO.
Q5) Extraction of data from a mobile device can be done on a physical level and a(n)________ level.
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Chapter 20: Mobile Device Forensics
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Q1) SD cards and SIM cards perform the same way.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Some tools,such as Cellebrite's UFED Touch,are quite clear about which devices support physical extraction.
A)True
B)False
Q3) It may not be possible to recover deleted file items from a mobile device,such as:
A) E-mails
B) Text messages
C) Photos
D) All the above
Q4) Describe the process of using each generation of mobile device to create a timeline and correlate events on the device.
Q5) What does 2G consist of?
A) Analog networks
B) Digital networks
C) Broadband networks
D) Native IP networks
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