Chapter 15
Glass Evidence
Embedded Files
End of Chapter Activities
End of Chapter Activities
Below you will find case studies and case file activities students may complete at the end of the chapter. I have included the "Scenario" statements provided in the student textbook for each activity. For cases that do not list a "Scenario" or for scenarios that are extensive, I have provided a description of objectives instead. These "Case Files" will be used to guide each chapter.
Students will engage in many other activities provided by the textbook resource and they will access all activities through the Schoology platform.
Case Studies
Case Studies
Susan Nutt (1987)
Susan Nutt (1987)
Wrong Place, Right Time (2006)
Wrong Place, Right Time (2006)
Case Files
Case Files
Forensic Science Investigation Activities
Glass Fracture Pattern Analysis
Glass Fracture Pattern Analysis
Forensic examiners need to look at evidence left at a crime scene to determine what happened. If witnesses or suspects are at the crime scene, they should describe their version of the incident. The evidence can either corroborate the eyewitness account or present a new version of an incident. In this activity, you will examine glass fracture patterns to determine the sequence of events that led to the breaking of the glass. The fracture patterns may also indicate where force was applied to break the glass, and, if there were multiple impacts, the fracture patterns help determine which impact occurred first.
Glass Density
Glass Density
The density of the glass fragments found at the crime scene can be compared to the densities of the glass fragments found on suspects. If the glass densities are inconsistent, then the suspects may be excluded (eliminated). Keep in mind that if the densities are consistent, this does not prove that the suspect is guilty, because glass is class evidence. Further glass analysis would be required.
Approximating the Refractive Index of Glass Using a Submersion Test
Approximating the Refractive Index of Glass Using a Submersion Test
Students at a local high school decided to steal the basketball trophy in the locked display case near the gym after 7 pm, when few workers would be in the building. Once they had the trophy, they planned to escape by running out the back door by the gym. They did not anticipate the coach returning to his office. The coach heard the glass breaking and saw two boys running.
The coach thought he recognized one of the boys by numerous old snowboard lift tickets on his coat. The coach reported the incident and gave a description to the police, who quickly located both boys at a pizza parlor.
Did those boys break into the display case and steal the trophy? The police brought the boys to the police station, where investigators examined the bottom of the boys’ sneakers. Small particles of glass were embedded in the soles. What type of testing could be performed to determine whether the glass in their sneakers is consistent with the broken display case glass?
Determining the Refractive Index of Liquids Using Snell’s Law
Determining the Refractive Index of Liquids Using Snell’s Law
By the end of this activity, you will be able to:
Draw and measure the angle of refraction as light passes from one medium to another.
Apply Snell’s law to calculate the refractive indexes of two different liquids.
Describe the effect on the angle of refraction as light passes from a medium with a higher refractive index to a medium with a lower refractive index.
Relate refractive index to forensic glass analysis.
Bertino, A. J., & Bertino, P. (2020). Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations (Forensic Science, Fundamentals and Investigations) (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning.
Possible Teacher Resources
Possible Teacher Resources
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