Matanzas High School

FORENSICS 100

9.07 Lab Questions

1)Why is chemical analysis used in forensic science?

2. If you are working as a forensic scientist and are given an unknown powder from a crime scene, what would you hope to find out about the powder?

3. You find that the unknown powder contains the illegal drug cocaine. If someone where to ask you to determine the purity of the substance, what would they mean? Why is purity important in crime investigations?

4. Of the controlled substances, which schedule of drugs is the average person most likely to have in their homes? How are the controlled substances in this group different from those in the other schedule levels?

5. What are the dangers of synthetic drugs?

6. What types of evidence might be collected by investigators that suspect illegal drugs are present at a crime scene?

7. If you were working on a drug smuggling case, where are three places that you might look for illegal drugs?

8. Describe one type of test that might be used in forensic drug chemistry and when it might be used.

9. What are some of the limitations of forensic drug chemistry?

10. Are controlled substances and illegal drugs the same thing? Why or why not?