Contents |
| Introduction | 4 |
| Important note: Health and safety disclaimer | 4 |
| Curriculum links | 4 |
| 1. The nature of forensic science | 6 |
| The scientist as an expert witness | 6 |
| How reliable is forensic evidence? | 7 |
| Find out more | 9 |
| Useful web links | 9 |
| Forensic rulers | 9 |
| 2. Lights on or off? | 11 |
| Forensic focus | 11 |
| Activity: Performing a lamp examination | 15 |
| Activity: The role of inert gas in protecting the filament | 16 |
| Find out more 18Useful web links | 18 |
| 3. Hidden numbers | 19 |
| Forensic focus | 19 |
| Activity: Restoring serial numbers by acid etching | 21 |
| Activity: Stamped serial number restoration by heat treatment | 23 |
| Find out more | 24 |
| Useful web links | 24 |
| 4. Glass fracture patterns | 25 |
| Forensic focus | 25 |
| Activity: Impact testing | 28 |
| Find out more | 29 |
| 5. A spectrum of possibilities | 30 |
| Forensic focus | 30 |
| Activity: Building a Lego spectrophotometer | 34 |
| Activity: Analysis of food colourings | 38 |
| Infrared spectroscopy | 39 |
| Find out more | 40 |
| 6. Thin-layer chromatography | 41 |
| Forensic focus | 41 |
| Activity: Making sample applicators | 43 |
| Activity: Making TLC plates | 44 |
| Activity: Applying samples, developing the TLC plates and visualisation | 45 |
| Find out more | 46 |
| 7. Poisons, medicines and drugs | 47 |
| Forensic focus | 47 |
| Activity: Spot tests | 54 |
| Activity: Thin-layer chromatography with common medicines | 55 |
| Activity: Making oil of wintergreen | 57 |
| Activity: Extracting caffeine from tea | 58 |
| Find out more | 59 |
| 8. Don't play with matches | 60 |
| Forensic focus | 60 |
| Activity: Using steam distillation to collect ignitable liquids | 63 |
| Activity: Analysing the distillate by thin-layer chromatography | 65 |
| Find out more | 67 |