Forensics

Division: C – High School

NC Essential Standards Alignment: Chm.3.1, Chm.3.2, Science as Inquiry

Event Rules: See National Rules Manual

National Event Page: Here

Description:

Given a scenario and some possible suspects, students will perform a series of tests. These tests, along with other evidence or test results, will be used to solve a crime.

Materials:

Participants must wear goggles, an apron or lab coat, and have skin covered from the neck down to the wrists and toes. Longer hair must be tied back.

Participants may bring one 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper, which may be in a sheet protector containing information on both sides in any form, from any source without affixed labels. Teams may bring any or all of the items listed on the Division C Chemistry Events Lab Equipment List. Teams who do not bring this may be at a disadvantage; Event Supervisors will not provide them. One stand-alone calculator of any type is allowed.

FAQs:

10/31/25: What forensics tests does NC focus on this year besides powders?

Students should always be prepared for powders, all polymers, and chromatography (no mass spec). These are required sections.

For the crime scene physical evidence, we have eliminated spatter, bullet striations, entomology, and seeds/pollens. We are still deciding on which three of the following we plan to use: tracks and soil, glass, blood, fingerprints, DNA.

Scoring:

High score wins. Time will not be used for scoring. Ties will be broken by the highest score on the analysis of the crime scene.

Recommendations:

Be sure to follow all safety requirements! Students will not be allowed to participate without the proper safety equipment.

– Event leaders will not answer questions on testing procedures nor will they provide a copy of the rules or a list of the possible unknowns. Teams should already know procedure, and should include a list of the possible unknowns in their allowed notes if they cannot remember. Event leaders WILL answer safety questions, and stop students from performing a test in an unsafe manner.

Event Resources:

Powder Analysis blank chart
Sample Forensics Flowchart

General sites on Forensics and Crime Busters
Real World—Articles on aspects of crime scene data collection
Links to forensic activities for students
Recommended Lab Equipment List

Conducting a flame test video series
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Source for mass specs
American Chemistry Council – Plastics 101
FBI Laboratory – Latent Fingerprint Unit
Spinning the Elements: Wallace Carothers and the Nylon Legacy
STEM Session Video with tips from previous competitors!

Shoe and Tire Prints:
Lab activity on shoe and tire prints

Polymers and Fibers:
Microscopic Images of Fibers—search for the types of fibers and select the kind of microscopic technique for the image you want.
Animal Hair Images

Chromatography:
Intro to Chromatography
Tutorial on Interpreting Mass Spectra
Basic info Mass spectroscopy

Previous Year’s Rules:
Forensics 2018 Coaches Clinic Presentation (2019 Rules)

Chromatography
Intro to Chromatography
Tutorial on Interpreting Mass Spectra
Basic info Mass spectroscopy