Forensic Practice Exam Questions

Circle the correct answer for the following multiple choice questions and complete the short answer
section.

1. Which of the following statements is not correct about Subjective and Objective evidence?

A. Objective evidence is something that can be analysed like fingerprints.

B. Subjective evidence depends on the individual making a statement.
C. Objective evidence refers to how someone can be objective.
D. Subjective evidence can be used to enhance objective evidence.

2. How would you best describe the difference between Objective and Subjective evidence?

A. Objective evidence is measureable while Subjective evidence is open to interpretation.

B. Subjective evidence is measureable while Objective evidence is open to interpretation.
C. Both Subjective and Objective evidence can be open to interpretation of an individual.
D. Subjective evidence is measureable and all testing can be repeated.

3. What are antigens and how do they relate to blood?

A. Antigens are present on the surface of the red blood cell.
B. They determine your blood grouping.
C. Blood type O has no antigens.
D. All of the above.

4. Which of the following is no one of the four components of blood?

A. Red Blood Cells

B. White Blood Cells
C. Plates
D. Plasma

5. What best describes blood spatter?

A. Parent drop is the main drop of blood from where the spines and satellites come.
B. Satellites are the pointed edges of the parent drop.
C. Spines are the small drops of blood that break away from the parent drop on impact.
D. The lower the wound on the body the larger the spines.

6. What is DNA?

A. DNA is formed by Chromosomes and contains genetic information.

B. Contains the genetic information, located on chromosomes in the nucleus of the cell.
C. Contains genetic information, located on chromosomes in the cytoplasm of the cell.
D. Created by genetic information, located in the cytoplasm

7. Which of the following statements are true?

A. The DNA in a man's blood is the same as the DNA in his skin cells and saliva.
B. Each person's DNA is different from every other individual's.
C. DNA can be found in all the cells in our bodies except the blood cells.
D. DNA can have forensic value even if it is decades old.
 8. What two parts of hair can be used to help identify who it came from?

A. Root tip and Cortex.

B. Root tip and Medulla
C. Medulla and Cortex
D. Cortex and Cuticle

9. What is PMI?

A. Post Mortem Interval is based on the study of ecological and fauna on the victims body.
B. PMI relates to you acceptable weight range.
C. PMI is based on the study of blood spatter
D. Post Mortem Interval is based on the study of fingerprints

10. What type of fingerprints are the following? Assume all are left handed.

A arch B tented arch C Radial loop

D whorl E double loop whorl F accidental whorl

11. Complete the following table by matching the correct word to the description below; Fluorescent
powder, Magnetic Powder, Cyanoacrylate, Ninhydrin

Powder type Description

Magnetic Powder Works best on shiny surfaces or
plastics
Fluorescent powder Used to find latent prints on dark
surfaces
Cyanoacrylate Fuming method (often called the super
glue method
Ninhydrin Used to lift prints from paper and
cardboard
 12. What are the following images and why are they important?

These are Minutae they can help further differentiate between fingerprints.

13. What is the difference between anthropology and entomology?

Anthropology is the study of skeletal remains where as entomology is the study of insects and bugs
and the impact they have on the deceased human body.

14. What is species succession and how can it be important?

Species succession is the order in which insects arrive at a dead body which gives details about the
time, place and other characteristics affecting death.

15. Use the table below to answer the following questions.

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/
units/basics/blood/types.cfm
Complete the following table.

Blood type Type A (AA, Type B (BB, Type AB (AB) Type O (OO)
AO) BO)
Can receive AO BO A B O AB O
blood from
Can donate A AB B AB AB A B AB O
blood to
 16. Draw and label the structure of DNA

17. Use the following information to answer the following question

C. Identical or not?

Which sets of twins are identical

twins?
C

18. What are Newtons three laws? Give an example of how each works.
1st Law An object at rest will remain this way unless it is acted upon by a force. An object will

continue to move at the same speed and direction unless an unbalanced force acts upon it.
2nd Law An object will accelerate in the direction of an unbalanced force acting upon it. The

size of the acceleration depends on the mass of the object and size of the force.
 19. What is the acceleration require for an 1800kg car moving with a net force of 3000N?

F = MxA
3000N = 1800kg x A
3000N/1800kg = A
1.667m/s2 = A

20. On a dry road, a car left a 40m skid mark. How fast was the car travelling if the Coefficient of
friction value was 0.7?
V = (254 x d x f)
V = (254 x 40m x 0.7)
V = 7112
V = 84.3 km/h

21. What is the location (state the period number and group number) for elements with electron
arrangements?

a. 2, 8, 3 (G 3 P 3)
b. 2, 8, 8, 2 (G 2 P 4)

22. Why do we need to balance chemical equations? Discuss in terms of the Law of Conservation of
Mass.
Since Mass cannot be created or destroyed we need to balance equations or they will be

unstable.

23. Balance the following equations:

BaCl2 + Na2SO4 NaCl + BaSO4

2 Na + 2HCl NaCl + H2

24. Explain what chromatography is used for and how it works. Provide a specific example. What is
an Rf value?
Chromatography is the science of separating mixtures based on attracting and repulsion. An example
of this is separating ink from paper. An Rf value

25. Explain the following terms:

A. Mass number Number of Protons + Neutrons

B. Atomic number Number of Protons

 26. What are the electron configurations of the following elements in:

Period 1, Group 1 1, Period 2, Group 15 2,5

Period 3, Group 17 2,8,7 Period 4, Group 1 2,8,8,1