BALLISTICS AND BULLET MATCHING

1. Casing- Shell casing of the bullet when the gun is fired

2. Fragment- a piece of a bullet.

3. Residue- Bullet holes or GSR (the gunshot residue)

THREE COMPONENTS OF BALLISTICS:

Bullets can be identified by the unique pattern the barrel made. Each gun has a different barrel.

HOW CAN THE PATTERN THAT FORMS ON A FIRED BULLET BE IDENTIFIED?

each barrel has different lands and grooves. The "lands" are the raised parts inside the barrel, and the "grooves" are the

recessed portion. The number of lands and grooves, their size and shape, may assist in determining the make and the

type of weapon that was used.

HOW CAN THIS PATTERN IDENTIFY THE WEAPON THE BULLET CAME FROM?

No to barrels are the same. The bullet that is shot from the gun has the same markings from the barrel. This can

determine if a person was present in a crime because, only one gun can have the bullet that was used within the crime.

The scientist match the bullet with that barrel.

HOW CAN THE BALLISTIC SCIENCE DETERMINE IF A PERSON WAS PRESENT

IN A CRIME?

There is a complex formula to find the trajectory of a bullet.

HOW CAN THE TRAJECTORY OF THE BULLET BE DETERMINED?

Where the bullet was fired from.

WHAT DOES THE TRAJECTORY OF THE BULLET TELL YOU?

TOXICOLOGY

The study of the nature, effects, and detection drugs and poisons

WHAT IS TOXICOLOGY?

• Analyzing biological fluids and tissues

• Interpreting the pharmacological effects of a drug

• Analyzing known substances.

WHAT ASPECTS OF TOXICOLOGY IS ESPECIALLY USEFUL IN FORENSIC SCIENCE?

At the time of death it is difficult to determine the type of drug because, you don’t know if that was the only drug be

used or in the victims system. If there is a drug that is stronger than another being used, then in some cases you

can only see that there is one drug being used even if there is more than one.

WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF DRUG IS FOUND IN THE VICTIM AT THE TIME OF DEATH?