BLOOD SPATTER ANALYSIS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. blood spatter analysis was adopted in practical manner in US after
what court case?: answer- 1954 Sheppard case
2. blood spatter analysis can provide what information?: answer- -who shed
blood?
-how did it get where it was found?
-what was the sequence of events that led to this pattern?
-origin of blood stain
-type of instrument causing stain
-direction from which it struck victim
-relative position of victim/assailant
-# of blows/gun shots
-truthfulness of suspects/witnesses
3. what is blood held together by?: answer- surface tension
4. surface tension: answer- cohesive forces that produce a surface
resistant to penetration or separation
1/5
, 5. before a drop of blood can fall, what needs to happen?: gravitational
attraction for the drop must exceed surface tension
*surface tension is broken w/ energy
6. shape and size of blood drop depends on what four factors?: size of
drop velocity
angle
type of surface hit
7. how fast does a drop of blood fall?: increases speed as it falls until
it hits terminal velocity (25 ft/ second)
8. when a drop of blood strikes at a right angle, spatter pattern forms
what shape?: even circle around point of impact
9. when a drop of blood strikes at a smaller angle than 90 degrees, what
shape does it create?: oval pattern w/ narrow/pointed end aiming in
direction of travel
10.these surfaces create small patterns of blood spatter: smooth surfaces
like glass, tile, and marble
11.when a drop of blood falls onto a hard surface, what can happen to
the drops?: small secondary/satellite droplet may surround initial
circular stain
2/5
1. blood spatter analysis was adopted in practical manner in US after
what court case?: answer- 1954 Sheppard case
2. blood spatter analysis can provide what information?: answer- -who shed
blood?
-how did it get where it was found?
-what was the sequence of events that led to this pattern?
-origin of blood stain
-type of instrument causing stain
-direction from which it struck victim
-relative position of victim/assailant
-# of blows/gun shots
-truthfulness of suspects/witnesses
3. what is blood held together by?: answer- surface tension
4. surface tension: answer- cohesive forces that produce a surface
resistant to penetration or separation
1/5
, 5. before a drop of blood can fall, what needs to happen?: gravitational
attraction for the drop must exceed surface tension
*surface tension is broken w/ energy
6. shape and size of blood drop depends on what four factors?: size of
drop velocity
angle
type of surface hit
7. how fast does a drop of blood fall?: increases speed as it falls until
it hits terminal velocity (25 ft/ second)
8. when a drop of blood strikes at a right angle, spatter pattern forms
what shape?: even circle around point of impact
9. when a drop of blood strikes at a smaller angle than 90 degrees, what
shape does it create?: oval pattern w/ narrow/pointed end aiming in
direction of travel
10.these surfaces create small patterns of blood spatter: smooth surfaces
like glass, tile, and marble
11.when a drop of blood falls onto a hard surface, what can happen to
the drops?: small secondary/satellite droplet may surround initial
circular stain
2/5
