Forensics is a Division C chemistry event that involves identification of powders, polymers, fibers, and hair

samples, blood serum and fingerprint analysis, and interpretation of chromatography. Given a scenario and
some possible suspects, students will perform a series of tests. These tests, along with other evidence or test
results, will be used to solve a crime.

The competition will involve using pre-brought materials to analyze data. The participants may also bring five
pages (both sides) containing information in any form from any source (sheet protectors are permitted). Note: in
the past, only one or two note sheets were allowed.

This event is closely associated with the Division B event, Crime Busters, both of which have been in rotation
continuously for many years.

Resources and Requirements

Forensics requires each competitor to bring safety equipment - specifically, Category C goggles and either a lab
coat or an apron - in addition to complying with various safety requirements listed in the rules. Teams are
typically not allowed to compete without satisfying these conditions.

Forensics allows each team to bring in five note sheets. In addition, the rules include a list of labware that teams
may bring to the competition (it is allowable to compete without these, but this is very disadvantageous).

Topics Covered
 Qualitative Analysis (powders)
 Polymers
 Chromatography/Spectroscopy
 Fingerprint Analysis
 DNA
 Glass Analysis
 Entomology
 Spatters
 Seeds and Pollen
 Tracks and Soil
 Blood
 Bullet Striations
 Balancing Chemical Reactions/Chemistry

Qualitative Analysis
Qualitative Analysis is the section of the test that involves the identification of unknown powders. The number
of powders given can be within the given ranges based upon the level of competition. 3-8 powders will be given
at the regional level, 6-10 samples will be given at the state level, and 10-14 powders will be given at the
national level competition.

It is helpful to include a flowchart to aid with powders identification on your note sheet.

There are fifteen different substances that may be given in a test. These are sodium acetate, sodium chloride,
sodium hydrogen carbonate (sodium bicarbonate), sodium carbonate, lithium chloride, potassium chloride,
calcium nitrate, calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, cornstarch, glucose, sucrose, magnesium sulfate, boric acid,
and ammonium chloride. Utilizing all availible means of identification will give the best results and help draw a
more accurate conclusion.

Methods of Identification

Flame test: The flame test uses a Bunsen burner and a nichrome wire. If nichrome wire is not available,
wooden splints (such as coffee stirrers) soaked in water work well too. To perform this test, dip a clean
nichrome wire in distilled water, and then dip the loop of the wire into a small sample of the dry chemical. Hold
the loop of the wire in the cone of the flame, and observe the color of the burning chemical. If desired, a piece
of cobalt blue glass may be used for viewing. Chemical cations determine the color of the flame, and their
characteristics may indicate the chemical identity.

 Sodium: yellow flame, very distinct. Even a small amount of sodium will contaminate other
compounds.
 Lithium: carmine or red flame
 Calcium: yellow-red flame
 Boric Acid: bright green flame, very visible
 Ammonium Chloride: faint green flame
 Potassium: light purple, lavender flame

Note that sodium can easily contaminate some substances, and its presence can mask the other cation colors,
giving off a yellow flame. The purpose of the cobalt blue glass is to block of the yellow color given off by
sodium in case the sample may have been contaminated. In some cases, this yellow color can appear a little
orangish.

Tests with liquids: Liquids used for identification are iodine, sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, Benedict's
solution, and water. Not all liquids are applicable to all samples.

 Iodine: When iodine is added to cornstarch, the sample will turn black. If cornstarch is not present, the
iodine will remain brown.
 Sodium Hydroxide: Sodium hydroxide is used simply to categorize your samples into two fields:
NaOH reactive- and non-reactive. For this reason, it is extremely useful when using a flowchart. To
perform this test, a few drops of NaOH is added to a small sample of chemical dissolved in water. If a
milky-white precipitate forms, the sample is NaOH reactive. If a precipitate does not form, the sample is
NaOH non-reactive.
 Hydrochloric Acid: Hydrochloric acid will react when added to samples contaning carbonates--
therefore, it is useful in identifying calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, and sodium hydrogen
carbonate.
 Benedict's solution: Benedict's solution is used to detect glucose. To perform this test, dissolve a small
sample of chemical in water in a test tube. Add two to three drops of Benedict's solution, then place the
test tube in a hot water bath. If the glucose is present, the sample will react and form an orange
precipitate. This test may take a few minutes; be patient. An important fact to note is that sucrose will
not react with Benedict's solution but glucose will. Benedict's solution can also be used to test for
ammonium chloride. Adding a couple drops will turn the sample a dark blue.
 Water: Water is used for determining the solubility of chemical samples, and is used for making
solutions.

pH: The pH data for chemicals can be useful, especially for determining between two similar chemicals. Most
samples have a pH of between 5 and 7, but there are several chemicals that have distinct pH's.
Conductivity: Certain chemical samples will dissociate and become conductive when dissolved in water. To
perform this test, dissolve a small sample of dry chemical in water. Using a 9-volt conductivity tester will
determine whether a sample is conductive or semi-conductive. This data is especially helpful when following a
flowchart.

Solubility: All samples can be divided into two fields--soluble and non-soluble. Water is used to perform this
test.

 Soluble Samples: sodium acetate, sodium chloride, sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium carbonate,
lithium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium nitrate, glucose, sucrose, magnesium sulfate, boric acid,
ammonium chloride
 Non-soluble Samples: calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, cornstarch

Polymers
Methods of Identification

 Burn test--fibers and hair only

 Density in liquids--oil, water, alcohol, etc.--plastics
 Microscope--useful for distinguishing different hairs and fibers

Hints Burn tests for fibers, when permitted, will usually be done with a small candle (Bunsen burners are too
hot). Burn tests on plastics will not be permitted at the event, but burn test results may be provided. If not, it is
important to know densities and other identifying properties. Common liquids used to test plastic densities
include water, vegetable oil, isopropyl alcohol, and NaCl solution (10%, 25%, and saturated).

Plastics

Commonly
Abbreviatio Densit Other Key
Plastic Monomer Unit Structure Used to
n y Features
Make

styrofoam,
tableware,
Polymerizes
coffee
~1.05 by addition,
Polystyrene PS cups, toys,
g/cm^3 reacts with
lighting,
acetone
signs,
insulation

Polypropylen PP ~0.90 Polymerizes food

e g/cm^3 by addition containers,
medicine
containers,
automobile
batteries,
carpet,
rope,
plastic
wrap, lab
 equipment
food
packaging,
shampoo
containers,
constructio
Burns green, n (ahem
Polyvinyl ~1.38
PVC polymerizes PVC
Chloride g/cm^3
by addition pipes ...
you see
them
often),
tiles, credit
cards
food
Polymerizes
containers
by addition,
(specificall
ethylene
Low Density ~0.92 y bags),
LDPE monomer
Polyethylene g/cm^3 grocery
units branch
bags,
out more
plastic
than HDPE
wrap, etc.
food
containers,
Polymerizes
bags,
by addition,
High Density ~0.95 lumber,
HDPE monomer
Polyethylene g/cm^3 furniture,
units more
flower pots,
linear
signs, trash
cans, toys

Polymerizes shatterproo
Polycarbonat ~1.20 by f glass,
PC
e g/cm^3 condensatio eyeglass
n, clear lenses

soft drink
bottles,
Polymerizes carpet,
Polyethylene by fiberfill,
~1.37
Terephthalat PETE condensatio rope,
g/cm^3
e n, shrivels scouring
with heat pads,
fabric,
Mylar
 Polymerizes
Plexiglas,
Polymethyl ~1.16 by addition,
PMMA glass
Methacrylate g/cm^3 reacts with
substitute
acetone

Just to clarify how LDPE differs from HDPE ...

(Lines represent the connected ethylene monomer units)

Fibers

There are three types of fibers: animal, vegetable, and synthetic/man-made. Each of these types of fibers behave
differently in different tests, but generally fibers of the same type will react in a similar way.

Burn Test

 Animal fibers shrivel, but don't melt

 Synthetic fibers melt and shrivel, and loose ends fuse together
 Vegetable fibers do not melt or shrivel, but they ignite easily and usually appear charred after being
burned.
Other Useful Facts

 Animal fibers dissolve in bleach, but the other types will not react at all (nice to know although the
bleach test isn't available during competition)
 Smoother fibers are more likely to be synthetic
 Synthetic fibers are generally uniform in thickness whereas natural fibers vary.

Individual Fiber Information

Fiber Information
Name of Type of Fact About Fiber Microscopic
Burn Test Results
Fiber Fiber Type View
Most commonly shrivels, leaves brown-black residue, smells like cylinder with
Wool Animal
used animal fiber burning hair scales
shrivels, leaves black residue, smells like thin, long and
Silk Animal Smoother than wool
burning hair smooth cylinder
Most widely used burns with a steady flame, smells like burning
irregular twisted
Cotton Vegetable plant fiber, fairly paper, able to blow flame from thread like a
ribbon
short fibers match, leaves a charred whitish ash
fibers generally burns at a constant rate, does not produce
smooth, bamboo
Linen Vegetable longer and smoother smoke, smells like burning grass, produces
like structure
than cotton sparks
melts, only ignites when in the flame, drips
fibers can be any when it burns and bonds quickly to any surface completely
Polyester Synthetic
length it drips on, produces sweet odor and hard, smooth cylinder
colored (same as fiber) ash
curls, melts, produces black residue, smells like fine, round,
Nylon Synthetic long fibers burning plastic (some sources say it smells like smooth,
celery?), ignites only when brought into flame translucent
can stretch to eight
Flattened, ridged
Spandex Synthetic times its original melts quickly
fibers, clustered
length

Hair

There are five types of hair to know for competition: human, squirrel, cow, horse and bat hair. While you can
perform burn tests, they aren't as effective differentiators as they are for fibers, so microscope is the primary
way to identify hair.

Hair parts

Also see the Anatomy Wiki's Integumentary System section for more info, but the ones to know for Forensics
are the cuticle, cortex, medulla, and root. The cuticle, cortex, and medulla are layers of the shaft from the
outermost to the innermost. Most hairs in Forensics are characterized and distinct by their medulla and cuticle.
Human

Characteristics:

 scaly cuticle (called imbricate)

 amorphous medulla, very thin if visible at all
Squirrel

Cow

Horse

Characteristics:
  very coarse, thick
 medulla is absent to unbroken; cellular or amorphous (mosaic pattern)
 imbricate scales on cuticle

Bat

Characteristics:

 very fine
 distinguishable by coronal scales on cuticle - looks like a stack of paper cups, or as the Woz says,
"strawberries on a stick"

Chromatography
There are several types of chromatography, but only two will likely be covered in competition: paper
chromatography and TLC (thin layer chromatography). Paper chromatography is just paper, and TLC is a glass
slide with a thin silicone layer, but they both do the same thing, and you can set both up using the same process.
There are plenty of youtube videos out there that can show how to set it up. Basically, chromatography is used
to separate the chemicals within a substance, allowing identification between seemingly similar substances.

There is also ink chromatography and juice chromatography. Likewise, both are set up the same way, but with
juice chromatograms, the sample must be applied to the paper or TLC slide by another instrument.

Most competitions ask for Rf calculations. Rf is retention factor or rate of flow.

Formula: Rf=p/s where the variable "p" is the distance the pigment (the ink or juice) travels and the variable "s"
is the distance the solvent (usually water or acetone) travels.
Mass Spectrometry
Mass spectrometry is an analytical method used to determine the mass to charge ratio of charged particles.

The mass spectrogram of dodecane is shown below:

A few things to note about the mass spectrogram of dodecane:

 The y-axis is a measure of the percent abundance

 The x-axis is the m/z ratio (molar mass)
 The lines are known as peaks

Reading Mass Spectrograms

1) Search for a molecular ion peak first. It may not always be present, but it is the peak with the highest m/z
ratio. The Nominal Molecular Weight (MW) is a rounded value assigned to the molecule representing the
closest whole number to the molecular weight. This value is even if the compound being analyzed contains
simply Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Sulfer, or Silicon. The value will be odd if any of these elements are
combined with an odd number of Nitrogen.

2) Attempt to calculate the chemical formula, using isotopic peaks and using this order: Look for A+2 elements:
O, Si, S, Cl, Br; Look for A+1 elements: C, N; And then: "A" elements: H, F, P, I. From looking at the isotopic
peaks, it is possible to determine relative abundance of specific elements.

3) Calculate the total number of rings plus double bonds: For the molecular formula: CxHyNzOn rings + double
bonds = x - (1/2)y + (1/2)z + 1

4) Try to determine the molecular structure based upon abundance or isotopes and m/z of fragments.

Fingerprints
Fingerprints are formed by the arrangement of volmer (or volmar) pads. They are made mostly of sweat and
water but can also contain various organic and nonorganic compounds.
Patterns

There are eight fingerprint patterns to know. They are:

 Plain Whorl
 Ulnar Loop
 Radial Loop
 Plain Arch
 Tented Arch
 Central Pocket Loop
 Double Loop
 Accidental Whorl

Whorls have two or more deltas. The presence of more than two deltas indicates an accidental whorl.

Loops have only one delta. The difference between an ulnar loop and a radial loop is that ulnar loops "enter and
exit" on the side facing the pinky (the side of the wrist containing the ulna) while radial loops do so on the side
facing the thumb (the side of the wrist containing the radius).

Arches have no deltas. Tented arches are easily distinguishable by the triangular core.

Types of Prints

Fingerprints can be in different forms when found.

 Visible: As the name suggests, these ones can easily be seen because they were made with a substance
like ink or blood. They can also easily be photographed without development.
  Impression: Made in soft material such as clay. Less easy to detect than visible fingerprints, but can still
be photographed without development.

 Latent: Invisible fingerprints. These must be developed before photographed.

Methods of Development

Latent prints must be developed in order to be seen. There are four common methods and one less common
method:

 Dusting: Powder applied to prints sticks to fatty acids and lipids.

 Iodine Fuming: Self-explanatory by its name. It was one of the earliest methods of fingerprint
development. The iodine reacts with body fats and oils in prints.
 Ninhydrin: a chemical method useful for lifting latent prints on paper. It reacts with amino acids in
prints.
 Cyanoacrylate (Superglue) Fuming: Also self-explanatory by its name. It also reacts with moisture in
the air as well as reacting with substances in the prints, forming sticky white material along ridges. Good
for nonporous surfaces.
 Small Particle Reagent (SPR): Not as common as the other methods used, but still important. SPR is
used for wet surfaces and reacts with the lipids present in fingerprints.

Features

DNA
Although many competitions that have include DNA as evidence require matching of DNA fingerprints,
questions about basic DNA physiology and principles come up along with them. PCR (Polymerase Chain
Reaction), a method of synthetic DNA replication, also comes up sometimes.

Ground Facts You Should Know

  DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid (yes, sometimes they ask this)
 The four nucleotides that compose DNA are adenine, cytosine, thymine, and guanine.
 With a DNA fingerprint, larger fragments of DNA are located on the right side while smaller ones are
located on the left.
o This is because of gel electrophoresis, which make the fingerprints. When the current runs
through the gel during this process, because DNA is negatively charged, it will move towards the
positive end of the box. Smaller fragments of DNA will obviously move farther through the gel
filter than larger ones.

PCR

PCR, as already stated, stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction; it is a method of synthetic DNA replication
developed in the late 20th century. PCR has been very crucial to molecular biology and forensics, then and now,
so its development earned a Nobel Prize.
Glass
The Rule to Remember!

If the glass's refractive index is the same or close to that of a liquid, then the piece of glass will not be visible in
that liquid (use exact same liquids that are used for plastics)

Fractures

 Cracks end at existing cracks

 A small force forms circular cracks
 Radial cracks and chonchoidal cracks make right angles, but face different ways. When dealing with
fractures, remember the 3Rs of glass fracture: Radial cracks at Right angles on the Reverse side of
impact.
 A force very close to the glass before impact, such as a gunshot or a rock, will completely shatter the
glass

Entomology
Stages of insects found on a dead body can tell how long the victim has been dead. The most common are the
blowfly and the beetle. Blowflies appear first, within minutes or hours of the death. Flesh flies can arrive at the
same time as blow flies, but generally arrive slightly later. Certain amounts of time lapse between each life
stage, which can tell this time. For example, if only maggots were found on the dead body, that means the
victim probably died less than twenty-four hours ago. Beetles usually arrive well after the blow and flesh flies,
and are generally the last insect left on the body after months of decomposition. Mites are also generally present
with these beetles initially because they help suppress maggots, and as such allow certain types of beetles.

Life Cycle of Blowflies

Fly Life cycle

Insects Involved in Forensic Entomology

Blood Spatters
Blood Spatters are generally classified by velocity at which they form.

Blood Spatters

Appears to be droplike and forms at speeds less

Low Velocity Formation.
then 5f/s

Medium Velocity
Appears in a linear type of drop pattern 5-25 f/s
Formation

Appears in essentially a random pattern around

High Velocity Formation
100 f/s

Angle of Impact: The angle at which a spatter hits a surface. The formula for it is:

θ=arcsin(W/L)

Where theta (θ) is the angle, W is the width of the spatter, and L is the length.

Note that arcsin is also known as inverse sine.

Seeds and Pollen

In this section of the competition, almost no practice is needed. The participants must be able to compare the
evidence from the crime scene to that which is found on the suspects. They may also be required to match
certain types of seeds or pollens to a region of the nation or world, which is generally common sense. It is,
however, helpful to have a general knowledge about various kinds of pollen and common regionally identifiable
plants. This may include plants such as cotton or rice, which can only gro in specific climates.

Tracks and Soil

Tracks

In this section, most observations will be qualitative. Often, the only necessary action is to compare the given
photographa to the track provided at the "scene." These tracks can be footprints or tire tracks, both of which can
be identified by the tread that is left on the ground. Checking the pattern, shape, and size of each distinct part of
the sole on a shoe is generally necessary to make a 100% accurate match.

Soil

Soil can be used as a way to possibly connect a suspect to the general area of the crime. For example, if the
crime was committed at the beach (however unlikely it is), and one suspect had sand on him, then you could
possibly infer that the suspect was near the scene of the crime.

Blood Typing
It is important to remember the ABO blood typing system when identifying a blood sample. There are four
blood types in human blood; These include A, B, AB, and O. The ABO blood testing method is used to
determine the blood type of any human. Using Antigen A and Antigen B serums, it is possible to find any blood
type. If the blood reacts with the A antigen only, then it is type A. If it reacts only with B antigen, it is type. If it
reacts with both, then the blood type is AB, and if it reacts with none of the testing liquids, then it is O.

Bullet Striations
Bullet striations are pretty much just like tracks. Pretty much the only thing you have to do is try to match the
one of the suspects' bullet striation to that of the one found at the scene.

Competition Strategies
 Although the lab and written portions of Forensics are weighted almost at an even 50-50, make it a
priority to include lab practice with the substances themselves as part of competition preparation. Many
experienced competitors cannot stress this enough as a key factor to success because even with the
amount of points you can earn from the Crime Scene Physical Evidence questions or even the Crime
Scene Analysis essay, which are written, you'll still need to do well on the lab portion to score even
higher. Plus, even the Crime Scene Analysis essay is usually dependent on the lab portion since you'd
have to identify which powders were at the scene in order to get a better idea of who the suspect is.
 Make flowcharts (or develop a mental routine if that suits you better) while you observe the lab tests,
especially for powders and plastics.
 Forensics is a very partner-dependent event. Most exams are so long that it is nearly impossible to finish
without two people.
o Once you find out who your partner is, split the different skill areas with him or her however you
wish and learn each of the areas you have so you can split the test accordingly when you go into
the competition so you'll be able to get to most of the test. (Pro-tip: national medalist
pikachu4919's favorite strategy is a powder/polymer split)