Forensic Ballistics Quiz

What is a projectile in the context of firearms?

• The gunpowder used in bullets

• The metal detector used by CSIs

• An object propelled through the gun barrel as a result of an explosion

• The residue left after firing a gun

What is the role of a ballistic examiner?

• To provide expert witness testimony related to the flight of the projectile

• To recreate the crime scene using ballistic evidence

• To train law enforcement in firearm usage

• To manufacture firearms for investigation purposes

What type of evidence can class evidence include in a ballistic examination?

What did the Chinese use gunpowder for more than 1,000 years ago?

What was a significant feature of the earliest firearms developed in 14th-century Europe?

• Use of gunpowder

• Automatic reloading mechanism

• Incorporation of rifling

• Silencer attachments

What replaced flintlock firearms around 1820?

• Breech-loading firearms

• Percussion-cap firearms

• Revolvers

• Cartridge firearms

What did the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) establish to ensure the validity and reliability of evidence?

• Guidelines for the safe handling of firearms

• Guidelines for the production of digital images using a specialized microscope

• Guidelines for the increased training of ballistic experts

• Guidelines for the validation of laboratory equipment

What is one of the guidelines established by OSAC for firearm evidence?

• Entering images of firearm evidence into NIBIN database

• Creating a public database for firearm evidence

• Using standard photography for firearm evidence

• Manual inspection of all firearm evidence

What is the first force to act on the bullet when a gun is fired?

• Force of gravity

• Air resistance

• Pressure of expanding gases

• Recoil from the gun

Which scientist was the first to describe a parabolic trajectory or path of a projectile?

• Sir Isaac Newton

• Albert Einstein

• Galileo Galilei

• Nikola Tesla