Plato - Forensics Mid-Term | Study Guide

How many points on a fingerprint do forensic scientists require when making a match for identification purposes? A. 8 to 16 B. 4 to 7 C. 30 to 35 D. 60 to 65

A. 8 to 16

Sofia is a medical examiner who is performing an autopsy on a murder victim. What will this process MOST likely involve? A. She will look for trace evidence present on the body. B. She will donate the victim's organs. C. She will prepare the victim's body for burial. D. She will cremate the body.

A. She will look for trace evidence present on the body.

What is TRUE about expert witnesses? A. They offer personal and professional knowledge. B. They are not allowed to practice their testimony. C. They are required to link all evidence to the crime. D. They have all written a book about their area of expertise.

A. They offer personal and professional knowledge.

Charred evidence from a fire should be stored in an airtight container. A. True B. False

A. True

Christopher is a suspect who left his bloody fingerprints on the steering wheel of his car. How would a forensic scientist BEST categorize these blood stains? A. transfer B. impact C. circular D. passive

A. transfer

The investigator has found a short strand of hair at the crime scene. What is the first thing the investigator should do? A. Determine if it is human or animal hair. B. Put the hair in a small plastic bag. C. Make a sketch of the hair in a notepad. D. Build a small frame around the area.

A. Determine if it is human or animal hair.

Jonathan is a forensic scientist who is using the Kastle-Meyer color test at a crime scene. What question is Jonathan MOST likely trying to answer? A. Is this substance blood? B. Is this human or animal blood? C. Is this type A, B, or O blood? D. How long has this blood been here?

A. Is this substance blood?

Who is known as the father of toxicology? A. Mathieu Orfila B. Francis Galton C. Dr. Leone Lattes D. Edmond Locard

A. Mathieu Orfila

Marisa is read her Miranda rights. Why is this important? A. She can secure an attorney if she wants one. B. She knows she is not in formal police custody. C. She is required to testify for the defense in her trial. D. She is aware she is being video recorded at all times.

A. She can secure an attorney if she wants one.

What is MOST likely TRUE about forensic scientists? A. They have to follow the rules of the judicial system. B. Most are biologists who decided to study forensics. C. They are not permitted to use hazardous materials. D. Many of them become certified immediately after high school.

A. They have to follow the rules of the judicial system.

Mateo was the first responder at a crime scene. He ensured that the scene was safe. Other officers arrived. What should Mateo and the officers do next? A. They must secure the crime scene. B. Nothing; they need to wait for others to arrive. C. They should take photos from all angles. D. They are required to collect evidence.

A. They must secure the crime scene.

Follicular tissue, which can be present on hairs that have been pulled out from the scalp, is the best source for nuclear DNA. A. True B. False

A. True

It is possible for a small stone traveling at a high speed to make a hole similar to a bullet in a glass window. A. True B. False

A. True

Patricia wants to examine the morphology of a hair sample. What is the BEST way for her to accomplish this task? A. Send the sample away to a lab for DNA testing. B. Observe the sample under a high-powered microscope. C. Add a solution to the hair to see if it reacts. D. Use a Hemastix strip to perform A-B-O testing.

B. Observe the sample under a high-powered microscope.

Sarah has been asked to explain the "right-to-know" law to her coworkers in the forensics lab. How will she MOST accurately explain this law? A. All lab workers must know how to operate a handgun. B. Scientists are informed of any potentially dangerous materials. C. Forensic scientists are told when criminals are in the building. D. No scientists have to testify in a criminal case if they choose not to.

B. Scientists are informed of any potentially dangerous materials.

At a crime scene, Debra sees a spot of blood and collects it as evidence. What did Debra do? A. She interrupted the chain of custody. B. She collected a questioned sample. C. She secured the primary crime scene. D. She contaminated the evidence.

B. She collected a questioned sample.

Glenda is studying early uses of forensic techniques. What fact is she MOST likely to learn? A. Americans opened the first forensic lab in the 1800s. B. The Chinese were using fingerprinting in the 700s. C. Bullets and weapons were not compared until 1932. D. The FBI developed the first testing for the presence of blood.

B. The Chinese were using fingerprinting in the 700s.

What is NOT one of the characteristics that forensic scientists use from hair samples to determine a suspect's race? A. pigment distribution B. length C. texture D. cross section

B. length

All people who are asked to testify in a criminal case must first be issued a subpoena by law enforcement. A. True B. False

B. False

If the police are interviewing someone but have not actually arrested them, the Miranda rights are required to be read. A. True B. False

B. False

Pathology is a science that concentrates on how the human brain functions. A. True B. False

B. False

The "CSI effect" is having an effect on real-life court cases. How is this BEST demonstrated? A. Television stars are being asked to testify as experts. B. Juries are asking for more forensic evidence in cases. C. More forensic scientists are in charge of performing arrests. D. Criminals are very likely to be interrogated by scientists.

B. Juries are asking for more forensic evidence in cases.

Ahmed found a shoe at the crime scene that has soil on the bottom of it. What is the BEST way for him to efficiently and accurately collect this evidence? A. Scrape the soil from the shoe into a bag before collecting the shoe. B. Leave the soil on the shoe and place the shoe into a bag. C. Add the soil from the shoe with the soil samples that have already been collected. D. Cut the sole of the shoe off and place the sole of the shoe into a bag.

B. Leave the soil on the shoe and place the shoe into a bag.

Yolanda is the first responder at the crime scene. She has made sure the scene is safe. She is going to secure the crime scene next. What is the MOST accurate way for her to secure the scene? A. She should allow only relatives of the victim and members of the press to enter. B. She should isolate the area from other people using a rope or barricade. C. She should collect any evidence that could be stolen by a bystander. D. She should vacuum the entire area to collect trace evidence.

B. She should isolate the area from other people using a rope or barricade.

Katarina isn't sure if her lab test is reliable. What is the BEST method she can use to make sure it is reliable? A. She should compare soil from two different locations and see if the results are similar. B. She should test the same substance multiple times to see if she gets the same results. C. She should describe her testing methods to other scientists to see if they agree with her. D. She should test many different substances and see if she gets many different results.

B. She should test the same substance multiple times to see if she gets the same results

Raquel wants to be a pathologist when she is older. What will her job responsibilities MOST likely include? A. She will determine if people are sane or insane. B. She will perform autopsies to look for diseases. C. She will inform the police about ways to connect with communities. D. She will visit crime scenes to collect evidence for investigations.

B. She will perform autopsies to look for diseases.

In a criminal trial, the investigators were informed that the judge will not allow the testimony to be entered into evidence. What is the MOST likely reason this happened? A. The video evidence was manipulated. B. The witness lied under oath. C. The recreation of the crime scene wasn't made to scale. D. The chain of custody of the weapon was violated.

B. The witness lied under oath.

What does this image BEST represent? (search image adress provided) https://cdn.app.edmentum.com/EdAssets/22785700eb904fb28e8be6371bfc84b7?ts=637417411915100000 A. trace evidence B. radial fractures C. chemical properties D. class characteristics

B. radial fractures

Phillipe is being asked to give testimony. What will this responsibility MOST likely include? A. He will donate money to charity. B. He will help make peace in his community. C. He will take an oath to tell the truth. D. He will ignore evidence and say how he feels.

C. He will take an oath to tell the truth.

What is TRUE about the precipitin test? A. It determines if blood is type A, B, or O. B. It uses hydrogen peroxide to make a chemical reaction. C. It requires a very small amount of blood. D. It can only be used on blood that is still wet.

C. It requires a very small amount of blood.

What did the police believe happened to Cora Crippen in the Crippen case of 1910? A. They thought she had moved to London to escape from her husband. B. They stated that she had become ill visiting family in the United States and died. C. They concluded that she had been poisoned and dismembered. D. They were certain that she was hiding in Scotland with her boyfriend.

C. They concluded that she had been poisoned and dismembered.

Detective Green has been asked to collect physical evidence at a crime scene. Why would this MOST likely be difficult? A. There is very little physical evidence at crime scenes. B. Detectives are banned from entering a secured crime scene. C. Almost anything could be classified as physical evidence. D. It is illegal to collect evidence of any type at a crime scene.

C. Almost anything could be classified as physical evidence.

Lavonda is learning how to collect evidence properly at a crime scene. What is one rule she should always follow? A. All evidence must be stored in airtight containers. B. Placing evidence in paper is not a good way to store it. C. Each piece of evidence requires its own separate container. D. Dangerous or hazardous materials should never be collected.

C. Each piece of evidence requires its own separate container.

Latent fingerprints were collected at a crime scene. What MOST likely happened in the collection process? A. Silicone molds were used. B. AFIS was used. C. Fingerprint powders were used. D. Plastic prints were used.

C. Fingerprint powders were used.

Andrew wants to become a certified forensic pathologist. What is MOST likely to be true about his path to achieve this goal? A. It is fairly easy and doesn't take a long time. B. There is no required residency or clinical fellowship. C. It requires a medical degree like a regular doctor. D. There are no schools that are currently offering this training.

C. It requires a medical degree like a regular doctor.

Detective Smith wants to bring in a forensic geologist to help her with her current case. Why does the detective MOST likely need assistance? A. Chemical tests need to be conducted on glass fragments. B. The suspect appears to act in an insane manner. C. There is a lot of soil evidence at the crime scene. D. An impression of the victim's teeth needs to be examined.

C. There is a lot of soil evidence at the crime scene.

Huda sees an obvious set of fingerprints on a mirror at a crime scene. How can she BEST preserve this evidence? A. Sketch the shape of the prints. B. Cut the fingerprints out of the mirror. C. Use clear tape to lift the prints. D. Make a plaster mold of the prints.

C. Use clear tape to lift the prints.

The officers are using eyewitness identification in their investigation. Because of this, what will MOST likely happen in the investigation? A. Forensic scientists will collect very little physical evidence. B. Investigators will watch a video recording of the crime scene. C. Witnesses who saw the crime will describe what happened. D. Multiple samples of evidence will be compared in the crime lab.

C. Witnesses who saw the crime will describe what happened.

At the crime scene, the investigator sees a bloody knife on the floor of the kitchen. What is the BEST type of photograph for the investigator to use to document this evidence? A. an overview photograph B. an intermediate photograph C. a close-up photograph D. a personal photograph

C. a close-up photograph

The scientist describes a piece of glass as, "clear, one pound, and square." What are they MOST likely describing? A. fragments and particles B. radial and concentric fractures C. physical properties D. chemical properties

C. physical properties

What is the primary role of most forensic scientists? A. to arrest criminals B. to train police officers C. to testify in court D. to analyze evidence

D. to analyze evidence

Dr. Romano is teaching a group of police officers how to collect evidence at a crime scene. What would he MOST likely explain to the officers about cross-contamination? A. It is important to put all collected evidence in the same sealed bag. B. Only forensic scientists can truly collect evidence correctly. C. All evidence needs to be viewed by at least two officers to be verified. D. Evidence should be separated so it doesn't transfer to other objects.

D. Evidence should be separated so it doesn't transfer to other objects.

Detective Scott worked to solve crimes in the 1910s in America. How did he MOST likely work to solve cases? A. He searched the FBI lab's database for similar crimes and suspects. B. He recorded fingerprints from every crime scene and looked for a match. C. He used DNA testing to compare evidence to possible criminals. D. He looked for basic connections between the criminal and the crime.

D. He looked for basic connections between the criminal and the crime.

Paulina was able to recover partial fingerprints at a crime scene. What is MOST likely to result from this discovery? A. The fingerprint evidence will be inadmissible in court. B. It will be impossible to find a match to these fingerprints. C. There will be no ridge characteristics present. D. She will have fewer number of points to compare.

D. She will have fewer number of points to compare.

What type of evidence should NOT be stored in an airtight container because it could cause damage? A. a piece of glass B. a bullet casing C. charred evidence from a fire D. bloodstained evidence

D. bloodstained evidence

What type of evidence does this image BEST represent? (search image address provided) https://cdn.app.edmentum.com/EdAssets/60700451c8774cb69eeb71ef00f97b32?ts=637417411821670000 A. trace evidence B. biological evidence C. ammunitions evidence D. impression evidence

D. impression evidence

At a crime scene, Vanessa spots blood that has pooled around the victim's head. How would a forensic scientist BEST categorize this blood stain? A. transfer B. impact C. circular D. passive

D. passive

Marisa's rough sketch of a crime scene is going to be used in a court case. What will her rough sketch MOST likely include? A. a precise representation of the scene B. a drawing of each piece of evidence C. the description of the weapons involved D. the dimensions of the crime scene

D. the dimensions of the crime scene

The local police department just bought a Reflected Ultraviolet Imaging System (RUVIS) device. What is MOST likely the purpose of this purchase? A. to test DNA from blood in their lab B. to individualize hair samples C. to determine if blood is human or animal D. to find and process more fingerprints

D. to find and process more fingerprints

Deven is accused of killing his wife. The police found that she was poisoned. Traditionally, why would a murderer choose poison as his weapon? A. to make it appear to be a suicide B. to cause no suffering for the victim C. to ensure there is zero evidence of a crime D. to make the death look like natural causes

D. to make the death look like natural causes