FRSC 1011 EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
forensic science - Answer- the application of science to civil and criminal law
Yi Yu Ji - Answer- first documented case of science applied to a criminal
investigation ('A Collection of Criminal Cases')
Alphonse Bertillon's anthropometry - Answer- first system of personal identification,
based on a series of body measurements
Marcello Malphigi - Answer- first to recognize ridges, spirals, and loops in fingerprints
Thomas Taylor and Henry Faulds - Answer- suggested fingerprints could be used in
human identification
Henry Galton - Answer- provided statistical evidence for the uniqueness of
fingerprints, developed system for classifying prints
Hans Gross - Answer- wrote the first influential treatise on the application of scientific
principles to the field of criminal investigation
Mathieu Orfila - Answer- father of forensic toxicology, published treatise on poisons
Dr. Karl Landsteiner - Answer- discovered that blood can be grouped into different
categories (A, B, O)
Edmund Locard - Answer- founder & director of earliest workable crime lab, stated
that 'every contact leaves a trace'
Dr. Walter C. McCrone - Answer- leading figure in microscopy, particularly in forensic
applications
Colonel Calvin Goddard - Answer- refined firearms examination using comparison
microscopy to see if two bullets could have been fired from the same gun
Sir Alec Jeffreys - Answer- developed the first DNA profiling test in 1984
forensic services in Canada - Answer- Six RCMP labs; Centre of Forensic Science in
Toronto; Institute of Legal Medicine and Police Science in Montreal; 13 OPP labs in
Ontario
importance of physical evidence - Answer- free from inherent error or bias
Frye v. United States - Answer- Rejected validity of polygraph test; established that
evidence must be 'generally accepted' by the scientific community to be admissible
, lay witness - Answer- can only provide facts, not personal opinions or interpretation
expert witness - Answer- qualified by knowledge, skill, experience, training, etc. and
is called upon to evaluate evidence/express opinion as to significance of findings
priorities of first responding officer - Answer- acquiring medical assistance for
victims, detaining suspects/witnesses, securing the scene, calling for additional
personnel
indicators of timing of incident - Answer- electronics turned on, temperature of
running water, partially eaten/prepared food, car engine warm/cold, snow...
primary crime scene - Answer- the original location where the crime took place, eg. a
murder scene
secondary crime scene - Answer- the location where events after the initial crime
occurred, eg. a shallow grave
line/strip search pattern - Answer- 1-2 investigators
grid search pattern - Answer- 2+ investigators
spiral search pattern - Answer- 1 investigator, moving from center of scene to
boundary or vice versa
wheel/ray search pattern - Answer- Several investigators-- useful for larger scenes--
area between 'rays' is where evidence is likely to be missed
quadrant/zone search pattern - Answer- Several investigators, each assigned a
'section'
vehicle searches - Answer- both interior and exterior; at the scene or at police
department/laboratory garage
departing the scene - Answer- lead investigator decides all pertinent physical
evidence has been recorded and collected, final survey is undertaken before
releasing scene
class characteristics of bullets - Answer- ‣ caliber
‣ lands and grooves (number, angle, direction of twist)
caliber (firearms) - Answer- higher # = narrower barrel; number of lead balls of a
diameter equal to that of the barrel required to make one pound (except .410 which
is 0.41 inches)
individual characteristics of bullets - Answer- microscopic striations produced by tiny
irregularities unique to each gun barrel
individual characteristics of cartridge casings - Answer- impressions from:
ANSWERS
forensic science - Answer- the application of science to civil and criminal law
Yi Yu Ji - Answer- first documented case of science applied to a criminal
investigation ('A Collection of Criminal Cases')
Alphonse Bertillon's anthropometry - Answer- first system of personal identification,
based on a series of body measurements
Marcello Malphigi - Answer- first to recognize ridges, spirals, and loops in fingerprints
Thomas Taylor and Henry Faulds - Answer- suggested fingerprints could be used in
human identification
Henry Galton - Answer- provided statistical evidence for the uniqueness of
fingerprints, developed system for classifying prints
Hans Gross - Answer- wrote the first influential treatise on the application of scientific
principles to the field of criminal investigation
Mathieu Orfila - Answer- father of forensic toxicology, published treatise on poisons
Dr. Karl Landsteiner - Answer- discovered that blood can be grouped into different
categories (A, B, O)
Edmund Locard - Answer- founder & director of earliest workable crime lab, stated
that 'every contact leaves a trace'
Dr. Walter C. McCrone - Answer- leading figure in microscopy, particularly in forensic
applications
Colonel Calvin Goddard - Answer- refined firearms examination using comparison
microscopy to see if two bullets could have been fired from the same gun
Sir Alec Jeffreys - Answer- developed the first DNA profiling test in 1984
forensic services in Canada - Answer- Six RCMP labs; Centre of Forensic Science in
Toronto; Institute of Legal Medicine and Police Science in Montreal; 13 OPP labs in
Ontario
importance of physical evidence - Answer- free from inherent error or bias
Frye v. United States - Answer- Rejected validity of polygraph test; established that
evidence must be 'generally accepted' by the scientific community to be admissible
, lay witness - Answer- can only provide facts, not personal opinions or interpretation
expert witness - Answer- qualified by knowledge, skill, experience, training, etc. and
is called upon to evaluate evidence/express opinion as to significance of findings
priorities of first responding officer - Answer- acquiring medical assistance for
victims, detaining suspects/witnesses, securing the scene, calling for additional
personnel
indicators of timing of incident - Answer- electronics turned on, temperature of
running water, partially eaten/prepared food, car engine warm/cold, snow...
primary crime scene - Answer- the original location where the crime took place, eg. a
murder scene
secondary crime scene - Answer- the location where events after the initial crime
occurred, eg. a shallow grave
line/strip search pattern - Answer- 1-2 investigators
grid search pattern - Answer- 2+ investigators
spiral search pattern - Answer- 1 investigator, moving from center of scene to
boundary or vice versa
wheel/ray search pattern - Answer- Several investigators-- useful for larger scenes--
area between 'rays' is where evidence is likely to be missed
quadrant/zone search pattern - Answer- Several investigators, each assigned a
'section'
vehicle searches - Answer- both interior and exterior; at the scene or at police
department/laboratory garage
departing the scene - Answer- lead investigator decides all pertinent physical
evidence has been recorded and collected, final survey is undertaken before
releasing scene
class characteristics of bullets - Answer- ‣ caliber
‣ lands and grooves (number, angle, direction of twist)
caliber (firearms) - Answer- higher # = narrower barrel; number of lead balls of a
diameter equal to that of the barrel required to make one pound (except .410 which
is 0.41 inches)
individual characteristics of bullets - Answer- microscopic striations produced by tiny
irregularities unique to each gun barrel
individual characteristics of cartridge casings - Answer- impressions from:
