PHA6850 Study Guide questions well
answered 2025/2026
What is Forensic Science - correct answer ✔✔the application of scientific principles and
technology to the legal process that involves characterization and examination of evidence
What are the 9 disciplines of forensic science? - correct answer ✔✔Controlled Substances
Serology
DNA
Trace Chemistry
Firearms
Toolmarks
QD
Latent Prints
Toxicology
What are the two types of evidence? - correct answer ✔✔Associative and inceptive
What is associative evidence? - correct answer ✔✔Evidence that links people, places, or objects
What type of evidence does Locard's exchange principle apply to? - correct answer
✔✔Associative evidence
What is inceptive evidence? - correct answer ✔✔Evidence that addresses whether or not a
crime has occurred.
,Examples: Controlled Substance and Alcohol testing
T/F: If an association does not exclude an individual that is proof of association - correct answer
✔✔False, it is corroborative supporting evidence
Who was one of the first experts to provide reliable scientific evidence in a criminal trial and is
credited with establishing toxicology as an organized branch of forensic science? - correct
answer ✔✔Mateu Orfila
Who developed a series of chemical tests for semen ID? - correct answer ✔✔Mateu Orfila
Who first used bullet comparisons to provide evidence leading to the arrest of a murder? -
correct answer ✔✔Henry Goddard
Who was first to report human hair and determined that a questioned hair was
indistinguishable from the suspect? - correct answer ✔✔Rudolph Vircow
Who proposed the application of fingerprinting for personal ID? - correct answer ✔✔William
Herschel
Who was the first person in Europe to solve a criminal case using latent prints? - correct answer
✔✔Alphonse Bertillon
Where was the first US police crime lab established? - correct answer ✔✔LA
When was the FBI crime lab founded? - correct answer ✔✔1932
Who developed the techniques for profile analysis of DNA? - correct answer ✔✔Alex Jeffreys
,What 5 categories of evidence require testing to ensure accurate ID? - correct answer
✔✔Bloodstains, Body Fluids, Drugs, Arson Accelerants and other chemicals
What is the ultimate goal of the identification process in forensic science? - correct answer
✔✔Individualization
What are the three points on the triangle of evidence for the linkage principle? - correct answer
✔✔Victim, scene, suspect
What is the earliest documented forensic specialty? - correct answer ✔✔forensic medicine
What is forensic toxicology? - correct answer ✔✔The identification and quantitation of toxic
substances in body fluids and tissues and the subsequent determination of the role any such
agent may have played in contributing to cause of death
Who was first to provide toxicological evidence supporting arsenic detection for a legal trial? -
correct answer ✔✔James Marsh
What is forensic odontology? - correct answer ✔✔The use of dental records to aid in human ID
What is forensic anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔identification of skeletal remains
Who was first to use systematic crime scene photography for recording a scene? - correct
answer ✔✔Bertillon
What is criminalistics? - correct answer ✔✔the complementary collaboration of various forensic
specialists with appropriate scientific backgrounds for the examination and interpretation of
physical evidence
, What is confirmation bias? - correct answer ✔✔the concept of accepting conclusions of another
without due diligence of the scientific process
How can bias be minimized? - correct answer ✔✔having a peer review process
What are the two roles of CSI? - correct answer ✔✔establish clear and direct lines of
communication with forensic experts and perform the technical aspects of collecting, recording,
examining, and analyzing physical evidence
What 6 things need to be considered when devising an entry plan to a crime scene - correct
answer ✔✔1. An entrance not used by the suspect
2. Path taken by the first responders
3. Loss of trace evidence
4. OSHA issues
5. Extent of the scene
6. Establish and entry and exit path to access scene
What are two ways to secure the scene? - correct answer ✔✔1. set up physical barriers
2. have officers protect the scene
Where do crime scene boundaries cover? - correct answer ✔✔1. where the crime occured
2. potential points of entry and exit of suspects and witnesses
3. places where victim or evidence may have been moved
How is scene securement maintained? - correct answer ✔✔1. Controlling flow of people in and
out of scene
2. Documenting who enters and leaves
answered 2025/2026
What is Forensic Science - correct answer ✔✔the application of scientific principles and
technology to the legal process that involves characterization and examination of evidence
What are the 9 disciplines of forensic science? - correct answer ✔✔Controlled Substances
Serology
DNA
Trace Chemistry
Firearms
Toolmarks
QD
Latent Prints
Toxicology
What are the two types of evidence? - correct answer ✔✔Associative and inceptive
What is associative evidence? - correct answer ✔✔Evidence that links people, places, or objects
What type of evidence does Locard's exchange principle apply to? - correct answer
✔✔Associative evidence
What is inceptive evidence? - correct answer ✔✔Evidence that addresses whether or not a
crime has occurred.
,Examples: Controlled Substance and Alcohol testing
T/F: If an association does not exclude an individual that is proof of association - correct answer
✔✔False, it is corroborative supporting evidence
Who was one of the first experts to provide reliable scientific evidence in a criminal trial and is
credited with establishing toxicology as an organized branch of forensic science? - correct
answer ✔✔Mateu Orfila
Who developed a series of chemical tests for semen ID? - correct answer ✔✔Mateu Orfila
Who first used bullet comparisons to provide evidence leading to the arrest of a murder? -
correct answer ✔✔Henry Goddard
Who was first to report human hair and determined that a questioned hair was
indistinguishable from the suspect? - correct answer ✔✔Rudolph Vircow
Who proposed the application of fingerprinting for personal ID? - correct answer ✔✔William
Herschel
Who was the first person in Europe to solve a criminal case using latent prints? - correct answer
✔✔Alphonse Bertillon
Where was the first US police crime lab established? - correct answer ✔✔LA
When was the FBI crime lab founded? - correct answer ✔✔1932
Who developed the techniques for profile analysis of DNA? - correct answer ✔✔Alex Jeffreys
,What 5 categories of evidence require testing to ensure accurate ID? - correct answer
✔✔Bloodstains, Body Fluids, Drugs, Arson Accelerants and other chemicals
What is the ultimate goal of the identification process in forensic science? - correct answer
✔✔Individualization
What are the three points on the triangle of evidence for the linkage principle? - correct answer
✔✔Victim, scene, suspect
What is the earliest documented forensic specialty? - correct answer ✔✔forensic medicine
What is forensic toxicology? - correct answer ✔✔The identification and quantitation of toxic
substances in body fluids and tissues and the subsequent determination of the role any such
agent may have played in contributing to cause of death
Who was first to provide toxicological evidence supporting arsenic detection for a legal trial? -
correct answer ✔✔James Marsh
What is forensic odontology? - correct answer ✔✔The use of dental records to aid in human ID
What is forensic anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔identification of skeletal remains
Who was first to use systematic crime scene photography for recording a scene? - correct
answer ✔✔Bertillon
What is criminalistics? - correct answer ✔✔the complementary collaboration of various forensic
specialists with appropriate scientific backgrounds for the examination and interpretation of
physical evidence
, What is confirmation bias? - correct answer ✔✔the concept of accepting conclusions of another
without due diligence of the scientific process
How can bias be minimized? - correct answer ✔✔having a peer review process
What are the two roles of CSI? - correct answer ✔✔establish clear and direct lines of
communication with forensic experts and perform the technical aspects of collecting, recording,
examining, and analyzing physical evidence
What 6 things need to be considered when devising an entry plan to a crime scene - correct
answer ✔✔1. An entrance not used by the suspect
2. Path taken by the first responders
3. Loss of trace evidence
4. OSHA issues
5. Extent of the scene
6. Establish and entry and exit path to access scene
What are two ways to secure the scene? - correct answer ✔✔1. set up physical barriers
2. have officers protect the scene
Where do crime scene boundaries cover? - correct answer ✔✔1. where the crime occured
2. potential points of entry and exit of suspects and witnesses
3. places where victim or evidence may have been moved
How is scene securement maintained? - correct answer ✔✔1. Controlling flow of people in and
out of scene
2. Documenting who enters and leaves
