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WorksheetsForensic Science Winter Final
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 49mins
Which topic primarily determines whether bloodstain patterns indicate direction and force of impact?
Blood spatter pattern analysis
Forensic toxicology screening
DNA profiling of blood cells
Hair shaft microscopy
A leaf fragment on a suspect’s clothing is used to link them to a wooded crime scene. Which discipline is most appropriate to examine this evidence?
Forensic botany evidence study
Handwriting fraud detection
Death mechanism assessment
Fingerprint ridge analysis
Investigators must decide which examinations to prioritize after a suspicious death at home. Which sequence best shows strategic use of disciplines to establish cause and identity?
Decomposition staging then botany then fingerprints
Hair analysis then handwriting checks then botany
Fingerprinting then toxicology then DNA profiling
Botany then blood spatter then handwriting
Which technique compares variable regions of human DNA to establish identity?
Mitochondrial genome sequencing for ancestry
Restriction mapping for bacterial plasmids
Short tandem repeat analysis for profiling
Whole-genome shotgun sequencing for disease
Which scenario most strongly suggests forged handwriting in a suspected counterfeiting case?
Natural variation in letter height across pages
Consistent pen pressure despite changing strokes
Progressive slant changes within a paragraph
Irregular spacing typical of fast cursive writing
Which term best describes the medical reason that directly produces death in a decedent?
Postmortem interval estimate
Cause of death condition
Mechanism of death process
Manner of death classification
A latent fingerprint shows clear ridge endings and bifurcations. Which feature most strengthens individualization during comparison?
Overall pattern type category
Handedness of the donor
Number of matching minutiae
Presence of visible smudging
Investigators find a body with greenish discoloration of the abdomen, bloating, and active insect colonization. Which decomposition stage is most consistent with these observations?
Active decay stage phase
Bloat stage progression
Dry remains stage
Fresh stage postmortem
Label the fingerprint pattern types.
loop
whorl
arch
In crime scene documentation, which action is performed first to preserve the original context of evidence before collection?
Package items individually using appropriate materials
Photograph and diagram the scene as initially found
Initiate the chain of custody with collector signature
Create detailed evidence labels for containers
A technician collects a blood-stained shirt, then passes it to the lab courier. What must be recorded to maintain an unbroken chain of custody?
Exact brand of transport vehicle used
Weather conditions during transport
Estimated analysis duration at the lab
Names, dates, and times for each transfer
You are planning forensic analysis for a homicide scene with potential DNA, fingerprints, and toxicology evidence. Which sequencing strategy best reduces cross-contamination while preserving perishable evidence?
Collect fingerprints after moving the body to morgue
Prioritize DNA swabs, then secure clothing and prints
Perform toxicology screening before evidence collection
Photograph last after packaging all items
Which feature of blood spatter most directly indicates the direction of travel of a droplet?
Tail pointing opposite to motion
Satellite stains clustered randomly
Circular shape with even margins
Diameter increasing with height
When using forensic botany, what application best helps estimate time since a body was left outdoors?
Growth stage of colonizing plants
Toxicology of plant alkaloids
DNA barcoding of plant species
Microscopy of hair cuticle scales
During hair microscopy, which characteristic most reliably distinguishes human head hair from animal guard hair?
Shaft tapering rapidly at tip
Pigment evenly distributed in cortex
Medulla thick and continuous
Cuticle showing coronal scales
Which principle best describes toxicology in forensic science?
Study of drug metabolism in the body
Study of bloodstain motion over surfaces
Study of plant growth near gravesites
Study of hair shaft microscopic patterns
A questioned signature shows tremors, inconsistent slant, and uniform pressure. Which conclusion is most justified?
Likely produced by a gel ink pen
Likely written by a dominant left hand
Likely traced or simulated handwriting
Likely genuine under stress conditions
Which fingerprint class is characterized by a single core and at least one ridge entering and exiting on the same side of the pattern?
Plain arch ridge flow across
Ulnar loop with single core
Tented arch with steep angle
Central whorl with two deltas
Investigators find a barely visible fingerprint on a plastic bag at a crime scene. Which method is most effective for revealing the print while preserving the evidence?
Scrubbing the bag with alcohol
Cyanoacrylate fuming in a sealed container
Applying ink directly to the plastic
Washing with cold water
Drops of blood form elongated stains with narrow tails pointing east on a hardwood floor. The suspected assailant moved west during the event. What trajectory interpretation best fits these stains and movement?
Passive drops falling vertically downward
Projected forward cast-off toward west
Expirated blood with air bubbles eastward
High-velocity mist from stationary source
In forensic anthropology, what best describes the post-mortem interval (PMI)?
Estimated time since burial was completed
Estimated time since death occurred
Estimated time since remains were discovered
Estimated time since injury was inflicted
A body displays bloating, strong odor, active insect activity, and liquefaction of tissues. Which decomposition stage is most consistent with these observations?
Fresh stage with minimal visible change
Advanced decay with reduced biomass
Bloat stage with gas accumulation
Active decay with tissue breakdown
In network forensics, what is the primary purpose of analyzing packet captures shown in the diagram?
Calibrate routers for bandwidth allocation
Compress payloads to reduce storage needs
Generate encryption keys for secure tunnels
Identify traffic paths and session timelines
A suspect’s laptop was formatted yesterday, but investigators restored emails using a recovery utility. Which principle best explains why the data was recoverable?
Solid-state drives permanently erase deleted blocks
Deleted files often persist in unallocated space
Formatting overwrites all sectors with random data
Email servers instantly purge local message caches
What direction is this blood moving?
down and to the right
down and to the left
up and to the right
up and to the left
During a cybercrime investigation, you must prioritize volatile evidence. Which sequence best preserves data integrity?
Capture RAM, image disk, hash images
Image disk, capture RAM, analyze logs
Hash images, capture RAM, image disk
Analyze logs, capture RAM, image disk
Which role best describes an expert witness in court?
Explains specialized findings to the jury
Investigates crimes at the scene
Makes final rulings on admissibility
Advocates for the prosecution’s strategy
A forensic analyst discovers a method that yields impressive results but lacks peer review. What is the most ethically appropriate next step before using it in court?
Seek validation through studies and review
Use immediately due to good results
Limit disclosure to protect trade secrets
Rely solely on professional reputation
So many letters! Match the acronym to the correct description.
The DNA analysis technique that cuts the DNA up into pieces and separates them using gel electrophoresis
RFLP
The process used to create a DNA profile by analyzing the number of repeats on your chromosomes
STR
The DNA database that stores DNA profiles
CODIS
Used to copy a strand of DNA to later be analyzed
PCR
What pattern of fingerprint is shown?
Loop
Arch
Whorl
(a) (Direct or Circumstantial) evidence must still be tested further because it does not yet give us enough information to declare a suspect. We have to do more tests to see who or what it belongs to.
Skin, cartilage and bone is all that remains
Fresh stage
Bloated Stage (Putrefaction)
Decay Stage (Black putrefaction)
Late Decay Stage (Butyric fermentation)
Dry Stage
You find third-instar blowfly larvae on remains in a temperate environment. Which approach most reliably uses this evidence to estimate PMI?
Compare insect color to reference photos
Match species to typical habitats
Measure larval length and apply growth models
Count total insects present on the body
Which fingerprint pattern is identified by two separate loop formations and two distinct cores?
Plain arch
Tented arch
Radial loop
Double loop whorl
When collecting trace evidence from a crime scene, which step should be completed before packaging the items?
Label each container with case details
Photograph the evidence in its original location
Initiate laboratory analysis
Transport items to the forensic lab
Which bloodstain pattern is typically produced by a high-velocity impact such as a gunshot?
Fine mist-like spatter
Pooling at the impact site
Elongated streaks
Large, circular drops
Which forensic technique is most suitable for identifying the source of a single hair found at a crime scene?
Cyanoacrylate fuming
Fingerprint powder dusting
Short tandem repeat (STR) DNA profiling
Blood spatter analysis
What is the primary reason for photographing evidence before it is collected at a crime scene?
To preserve the original context and location
To estimate the time since death
To create a chain of custody record
To analyze chemical composition
Crime scene investigators want to test a dry knife for prints. Which two methods could they use?
powder & super glue fuming
power & ninhydrin
photography & ninhydrin
power & corn starch
Fibers are an excellent source of trace evidence because
They are easily transferred from victim to suspect.
They are often overlooked by a suspect.
They can be easily collected and stored.
All of the above.
What type of evidence is a fingerprint?
Direct Evidence
Class Evidence
Individual Evidence
Circumstantial Evidence
Which type(s) of evidence is circumstantial? (There may be more than one answer)
signed ransom note
glass fragments
paint transfer
video surveillance
Broken glass is considered to be (a) (physical or biological) evidence.
Which is true regarding DNA collection?
DNA is only collected from suspects in murders and rapes
DNA must be collected in a plastic bag to prevent contamination
DNA evidence is destroyed after five years to reduce storage problems
DNA evidence found in trace amounts can be used to solve crimes
The FBI uses _______ STR locations to identify an individual.
5
10
13
21
