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Quiz about Forensic Science Part I Fingerprints

Forensic Science Part I: Fingerprints Quiz

This is Part 1 to my series on forensic science. The part will focus on fingerprints, the secondary DNA.

A multiple-choice quiz by toadsworth65. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
toadsworth65

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
224,991

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
3384

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 24 (6/10), Guest 47 (7/10), Guest 38 (4/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which group of ancient people were the first to use fingerprints for personal identification? Hint

the Sumerians

the Greeks

the Romans

the Chinese

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Question 2 of 10

2. Who was the first person to devise a system of classifying fingerprints? Hint

Nehemiah Grew

Johannes Purkinje

G. Bildoo

Charles Darwin

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Question 3 of 10

3. Gloves leave no identifiable marks on surfaces.

True

False

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Question 4 of 10

4. Before fingerprints, what did people do for identification? Hint

took pictures of everybody and kept them on file

took samples of blood and hair

measured people's bodies

kept signatures of every person

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Question 5 of 10

5. What system of fingerprint classification is most widely used today? Hint

the Henry system

the Herschel system

the Edward system

the Darwin system

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Question 6 of 10

6. Arches are the most common type of fingerprints.

True

False

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Question 7 of 10

7. What is the main system used by the FBI and other organizations today to find a match to a latent fingerprint? Hint

CATFISH

FIS

AFIS

LPIS

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which one of these is NOT a type of fingerprint found at the scene of the crime? Hint

visible

compound

latent

plastic

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Question 9 of 10

9. UV rays can reveal invisible prints.

True

False

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Question 10 of 10

10. Getting fingerprints off of human skin is easy, if you have the right tools.

True

False

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which group of ancient people were the first to use fingerprints for personal identification?

Answer: the Chinese

The Chinese mainly used a thumbprint in place of a signature in on legal conveyances and criminal confessions.
The reason for this was simple. Many people were illiterate at that time and were incapable of signing their name.
This recognition of the uniqueness of prints may have lead to the wide-spread use of them later on.

2. Who was the first person to devise a system of classifying fingerprints?

Answer: Johannes Purkinje

Purkinje published a thesis, in which he described different print patterns and gave them names.
Purkinje never actually dreamed that they would be used for identifying people. That would come later.

3. Gloves leave no identifiable marks on surfaces.

Answer: False

Just like fingerprints, no two glove prints are alike.
Investigators can find the type and maybe even the size of glove worn.

4. Before fingerprints, what did people do for identification?

Answer: measured people's bodies

This system of measuring bodies was called bertillonage. It was named after its creator Alphonse Bertillon.
The system took eleven measurements, height sitting and standing, the length of the left arm, etc.
As fingerprints became popular Bertillon's system fell out of use.

5. What system of fingerprint classification is most widely used today?

Answer: the Henry system

The Henry system was completed by Edward Henry in 1899. It was first implemented in England and Wales.
The FBI made modifications and it still is in wide use today, except for some countries in Central and South America.

6. Arches are the most common type of fingerprints.

Answer: False

Arches only make up about 5% of all of the population's prints.
The most common type is loops, which make up about 60% of the prints.

7. What is the main system used by the FBI and other organizations today to find a match to a latent fingerprint?

Answer: AFIS

Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or AFIS, has been around since the 1970's when it became possible to use technology for fingerprint searching.
Before this system, agents had to go through millions of cards to try to find a match. This could take days.
AFIS can do it in less than a second.

8. Which one of these is NOT a type of fingerprint found at the scene of the crime?

Answer: compound

Visible prints are prints from of finger that has been coated in a colored substance like blood or dirt.
Latent prints are invisible and must be developed.
Plastic prints are prints impressed into a substance like wax or dust.
These prints are all types, compound, however, is not.

9. UV rays can reveal invisible prints.

Answer: True

Many things can be used to find latent prints, specifically lasers, powder, and UV rays.
The FBI uses the Reflected Ultraviolet Imaging System (RUVIS) to reveal the latent prints.

10. Getting fingerprints off of human skin is easy, if you have the right tools.

Answer: False

A print on a corpse is the most useful as you know that the person who left the print touched the person, but getting a print off of a dead person is a very hard task.
A fingerprint is made up of oils and so is the human body. This makes the latent print development very difficult.

Source: Author toadsworth65

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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