Unit 2: Physical evidences - Practice Quiz

1 What is meant by physical evidence in a criminal investigation?

2 Physical evidence is also commonly referred to as:

3 Which of the following is an example of biological physical evidence?

4 Fingerprints found at a crime scene are best classified as which type of evidence?

5 Physical evidence such as hair, fibres, and soil is generally grouped under which category?

6 Evidence that can be linked to only one single source is called:

7 Which of the following is an example of class evidence?

8 One major role of physical evidence in an investigation is to:

9 Physical evidence can help an investigator to:

10 During a trial, physical evidence is mainly used to:

11 For physical evidence to be accepted in a trial, it must primarily be:

12 Which search pattern is most suitable for a large outdoor area covered by many searchers?

13 In the spiral search method, the searcher moves in a pattern that is:

14 The zone (quadrant) search method involves:

15 What should be done before any physical evidence is collected at a scene?

16 To avoid contamination of biological evidence, investigators should:

17 The probative value of physical evidence refers to its ability to:

18 Which type of evidence generally has higher probative value?

19 The chain of custody is a record that documents the:

20 A break in the chain of custody may cause the evidence to be:

21 An investigator collects a bloodstained shirt, a shoe impression cast, and a witness's verbal account at a scene. Which of these qualifies as physical evidence?

22 A forensic team labels a fingerprint on a glass as one type of evidence and a bloodstain matched to a suspect as another. This distinction best illustrates which pair of categories?

23 A fiber recovered from a scene is found to be common polyester used in millions of garments. Under evidence classification, this fiber is best described as:

24 During an investigation, physical evidence links a suspect's tool to marks on a broken lock. What primary investigative role does this evidence serve?

25 At trial, a defense attorney challenges evidence because the lab report lacks documented handling records. The most likely legal consequence is that the evidence may be:

26 Two officers search a large open field for scattered evidence by walking side by side in parallel straight lines. Which search method are they using?

27 An investigator performs one strip search of a room, then a second strip search perpendicular to the first over the same area. This double-coverage approach is called a:

28 Before packaging biological evidence such as bloodstained clothing, the correct practice is to:

29 A single unique tool mark matched to a suspect's crowbar carries higher probative value than a common cotton fiber mainly because it:

30 A chain of custody record for an evidence item must document, at minimum:

31 Microscopic examination of a recovered hair shows a continuous, unbroken medulla and pigment distribution near the cuticle. These features most strongly suggest the hair is:

32 A hair recovered at a scene has a follicular tag with adhering tissue at its root. This finding is significant because it:

33 To distinguish a natural fiber like cotton from a synthetic fiber like nylon, an analyst can most reliably use:

34 Why is fiber evidence generally treated as class rather than individual evidence?

35 A forensic analyst compares glass fragments from a scene with a suspect's clothing primarily by measuring the:

36 When a projectile passes through a glass pane, radial fracture lines can indicate the direction of impact. On a radial crack, stress marks (conchoidal lines) are perpendicular to the surface on the side:

37 A pry mark on a door frame shows a series of fine parallel striations. These striation patterns arise mainly because:

38 An investigator finds a tool mark on a metal window frame that is too large to remove. The best documentation practice is to:

39 A control (reference) sample of carpet fiber is collected alongside questioned fibers at a scene. The main purpose of the control sample is to:

40 According to Locard's Exchange Principle, when a suspect contacts a crime scene, the expected outcome is that:

41 A defense attorney argues that a substance recovered from a scene should not be classified as physical evidence because it was not directly linked to the accused at the time of collection. Which principle best refutes this argument?

42 Two paint chips are compared. Chip A matches a known standard in layer sequence, color, and chemical composition, while chip B only matches in general color. Which classification statement is most accurate?

43 An investigator recovers a fingerprint in blood, a spent cartridge case, and a torn document. Categorizing by the nature of information they yield, which grouping is correct?

44 In a homicide, physical evidence contradicts the sole eyewitness account of the sequence of events. What is the most defensible investigative approach?

45 During trial, an expert testifies that a fiber "could have come from" the suspect's sweater. Why does the court treat this differently from a fingerprint match?

46 A large outdoor scene with multiple investigators and a defined perimeter needs systematic coverage minimizing overlap. Which search pattern is most appropriate?

47 A gap of three hours appears in the chain-of-custody log for a bloodstained shirt with no documented custodian. What is the most likely legal consequence?

48 Microscopic examination shows a hair with no follicular tag, a frayed distal end, and a continuous medulla. Which conclusion is best supported?

49 Two glass fragments have identical refractive index but different density. What is the correct interpretation regarding common origin?

50 A window has a fracture with concentric and radial cracks. Analysis shows the radial crack conchoidal (rib) marks are perpendicular to the surface on the side opposite the impact. Using the 3R rule, from which side was the force applied?

51 A synthetic fiber is examined and found to be birefringent under polarized light with a delustered, trilobal cross-section. Which conclusion follows?

52 A striated tool mark from a scene is compared to a suspect's screwdriver, but no test marks reproduce the questioned striations despite varied angles. What is the most scientifically sound conclusion?

53 At a scene with both latent fingerprints on a firearm and the need for DNA from the same surface, what is the correct processing sequence?

54 Evidence X has high individualizing potential but weak relevance to the disputed fact; evidence Y has only class value but is directly tied to the disputed fact. Which generally has greater probative value in that specific trial?

55 If two intersecting fractures exist on a pane, and fracture line A stops at fracture line B, what is the temporal sequence of the impacts?

56 In an indoor scene where the point of entry, a body, and a possible exit are the focal areas, and a supervisor divides the room among specialists, which search method is being applied?

57 A liquid blood sample is transferred between five custodians. To best preserve both chain of custody and sample integrity during transport, which combination is essential?

58 Comparison microscopy shows a questioned hair and a known hair share pigment distribution, medullary index, and scale pattern. What is the strongest permissible statement?

59 Fiber transfer analysis relies on Locard's principle. Which factor most reduces the evidential strength of a fiber found on a victim?

60 An impression (indented) tool mark, as opposed to a striated one, is best cast and compared because it primarily records which feature?