REVIEWER IN FORENSIC 103 (MIDTERM)

WEEK 7
Document = original or official written or printed paper

Types of Documents:
1. Bond- means financing documents and all other agreements

2. Certificate- a document attesting that something is true or someone is qualified

3. Contract

4. Constitution

5. License- a document or other item that is evidence of the granting of a license, or the authority
to engage in an activity or assignment of all rights 

6. Guaranty- stated agreement about possessing something or about the longetivity or quality of
a product

7. Covenant- a document recording a formal binding agreement, action to remedy breach of

such agreement

8. Diploma- degree earned from an educational institution, honor or privilege

Possible examinations are as follows:

 Handwriting (cursive/ printing) and signatures

 Typewriters, photocopiers, laser printers, fax machines

 Rubberstamps, label markers, price markers, chequewriters, price markers

 Printing processes

 Ink, pencil, paper

 Alterations, additions, erasures, obliterations

 Indentions
Fiber Composition = standpoint of their basic fiber

a. Mechanical Pulp = ground wood sulfite mixture

b. Soda sulfite mixture = chemical pulp from dicotyledonous woods

c. Rug Sulfite = cotton rag or linen rag.

Egyptian Papyrus = earliest substance use of writing

a. 1800 = straw was first used

b. Between 1845 and 1880 = from soda wood pulp

c. 1869 = from mechanical wood pulp

d. Between 1880 and 1890 = from sulfite wood pulp

THE FOUR TESTS FOR PAPER

1. Preliminary Examination = appearance of the document

a. folds and creases
b. odor
c. impression caused by transmitted light
d. Presence of discoloration in daylight & under the UV light.

Watermark = important features

Wiremark = flexible wire soldered

2. Physical test causing no perceptible change

a. Measurement of length and width = originated from the same manufacturer
b. Measurement of thickness
c. Measurement of weight
d. Color of the paper = closely related to its brightness
e. Texture
f. Gloss = visual observation
g. Opacity = prevents dark objects
h. Microscopic Examination = possible presents of dirt
 3. Physical examination causing a perceptible change = if sufficient samples are
available
a. Bursting strength or “Pop” test = burst a hole in a sheet
b. Folding Endurance Test = number of alternate folds
c. Accelerated Aging Test = aging document

1. Soaking in a coffee solution 4. ironing

2. Soaking in a tea solution 5. Heating in an oven
3. Exposure to charcoal 6. Exposure to ultra violet light

d. Absorption test = either the rate of absorption

4. Chemical test = determine the fiber composition

a. Fiber Composition = purely microscopic

b. Sizing Material = maybe tested by gelatin

Procedure and results:

1. Gelatin = boiling paper in water

2. Rosin = heating a paper on a water bath
3. Starch = add a dilute iodine solution on the paper
4. Casein = addition of millions reagent on the paper

TYPES OF INK

1. Gallatonic ink or iron-nutgall ink (blue) = made of a solution of iron salt (ferrous
sulfate)

Blue = with the naked eye, very recent

Violet = less recent

Black = still less recent

2. Logwood ink (black) = made of saturated solution of logwood

3. Nigrosine ink or aniline ink (blue black or purple black) = made of coal product
4. Carbon ink or Chinese ink or India ink = oldest ink material known
5. Colored writing ink = composed of synthetic aniline dyestuffs dissolved in water.
6. Ballpoint pen ink = made of light fast due solution
TEST FOR INK

1. Physical Method Test = determine the color and presence alterations

2. Chemical Test or Spot Test = simple test wherein different chemicals reagents are
applied

DETERMINATION OF APPROXIMATE AGE OF DOCUMENT

1. Age of ink = no definite procedure which can be given for this determination
2. Age of paper
a. Through watermarks
b. In certain cases from composition of paper

Illigible writing = unnecessary writing

Example of illegible writing:

1. Ensures = removal of writing from the paper

2. Obliteration = obscuring of writing by superimposing ink
3. Sympathetic ink = used for invisible writing
4. Indented writing = appearing on the sheet of paper underneath
5. Writing on carbon paper = carbon paper can be made readable
6. Contact writing = blank paper may contain traces of ink

WEEK 8

GLASS AND GLASS FRAGMENTS AND FRACTURES

Glass = high viscosity and rigidity

COMMON OXIDES USED IN GLASS MANUFACTURE

OXIDES FUNCTION

1. Silica (SiO2) base of commercial glass

2. Sosa (Na2O) acts as flux or silica
3. Lime (CaO) gives the glass chemical durability
4. Magnesia (MgO) present as impurity or substitute
5. Alumina (Al2O3) lower coefficient of expansion
6. Potash (K2O) durability and resistance
Analysis of Glass = most important problem

Test/ Analysis for glass

1. Spectrographic Test = instrumental method of analysis

2. X-ray diffraction test= not as effective as the spectrographic analysis.
3. Physical Properties Examination = the most sensitive method

Flotation method = rapid and convenient method

Immersion method = measure the refractive index of a glass

4. Ultraviolet light examination = appearance of the fluorescent

5. Polish marks = optical glass and other fine glasswares

ANALYSIS OF GLASS FROM VEHICLES = hit and run accidents

ANALYSIS OF BROKEN WINDOWS = window fragments in robbery

BROKEN WINDOW CAUSED BY BULLET HOLES = hole produced by a bullet

BROKEN WINDOW CAUSED BY FIST OR STONE = fist or stone smashed the window

The Principle of 3R’s Rule for Radial Crack = stress lines on a radial crack (rear side of the
glass)

The Principle of RFC Rule for Concentric Crack = stress lines on a concentric crack (right
angle to the front side)

THE BULLET HOLES IN THE WINDOW = determine who is the aggressor

FRACTURES ON SAFETY GLASS = being used in automobiles

WEEK 9
SOIL (Petrography As Applied To Crime Detection)

Soil as evidence in murder, homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, hit and run accident has been
overlooked by most investigators

Petrography - is the branch of geology that deals with the systematic classification and
identification of rocks
TYPES OF SOIL

1. Alluvial Soil = from soil particles that were washed

2. Colluvial soil - formed from the decomposition of igneous, metamorphic and
sedimentary rocks
3. Sedentary soil - inactive, not migratory soil.

CONSTITUENTS OF SOIL

Igneous rock - produced by volcanic or intense heat. 

Metamorphic rock - had undergone changed in structure, texture through pressure heat and
chemical reaction. Like limestone into marble. 

Sedimentary rock - or sandstone. Rocks formed by sediments. 

Constituents of Soil:

1. Primary Minerals = includes undecomposed rock fragments

2. Clay minerals - a product of decomposition of primary minerals.
3. Organic constituents - one of the most variable of all soil constituents

OTHER METHODS OF ANALYSIS FOR SOIL

1. X-ray diffraction

2. Spectrographic analysis

3. Thermal analysis

DUST AND DIRT 

Dust and dirt has been described as “matter in the wrong place".

Dust - matter which is dry and in finely divided form.

Mud - dust mixed with water, 

CLASSIFICATION OF DUST 

1. Dust deposited from the air - extremely fine dust particles present in the same everywhere.

2. Road and footpath dust - produced by the wear and tear of the road surface by vehicular and
pedestrian traffic together with particles of soil carried by the wind or rain from adjoining
regions.

3. Industrial dust - industries like cement, button, powdered gypsum and plaster of paris
factories, flour milling paint pigments, involves industrial processes impart a pronounce local
character to the dust on the neighboring roads and buildings.

4. Occupational dust - some of the finely powdered material maybe found on the clothing and
footwear of employees engaged in such industries. Aside from this for example, bricklaver will
yield brick dust, sand and lime on his clothes, Coal miner will have coal dust on his clothes.