Deck 6: Fingerprints

Question 1

Fingerprint collection began in 1856 by:

A)Sir Archibald Hershey.
B)Sir William Herschel.
C)Lady Willamina Herschey.
D)Sir Leroy Hersch.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Fingerprint arches may be:

A)plain and tented arches.
B)fancy and tented arches.
C)multiple and tented arches.
D)singular and tented arches.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Patent fingerprints, or visible fingerprints, are left on a smooth surface when blood, ink, or some other liquid comes in contact with the hands and is then transferred to that surface.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Latent fingerprints, or surface fingerprints, are caused by the transfer of skin onto a surface.

Question 5

What percent of latent prints at a crime scene come from the palm or side of the hand?

A)10-20
B)20-30
C)30-40
D)40-50

Question 6

Which type of loop open towards the little finger?

A)left facing
B)radial
C)right facing
D)ulnar

Question 7

Patent fingerprints are caused by the transfer of oils and other body secretions onto a surface.

Question 8

Fingerprint whorl patterns may be a:

A)plain whorl.
B)central pocket loop whorl.
C)double loop whorl.
D)All of these choices.

Question 9

Actual indentations left in some soft material such as clay, putty, or wax is which type of fingerprint?

A)latent
B)patent
C)plastic
D)None of the above.

Question 10

A Hungarian immigrant currently living and working in Canada, is an art conservator who, in 1984, was the first to make studies of the fingerprints left behind by artists.After years of careful study, he began using these marks as a means of identifying artists of paintings.His name is _____________________________________.

Question 11

As soon as fingerprints were discovered to be a reliable means of identification, criminals began to devise ways to alter them so they could avoid being identified.American Public Enemy Number One in the 1930s, John Dillinger, burned his fingertips with a torch to change their appearance.

Question 12

In 1888, Sir Francis Galton, along with Sir E.R.Henry developed the classification system for fingerprints that is still in use today in:

A)England and France.
B)England and the United States.
C)the United States and Europe.
D)England and Germany.

Question 13

The imprint of a fingerprint consists of natural secretions of the sweat glands that are present:

A)in the friction ridge of the skin.
B)on the surface of the skin.
C)just under the surface of the skin.
D)under the friction ridge of the skin.

Question 14

Pudd'nhead Wilson is a lawyer created by Mark Twain in the novel of the same name, published in November of 1894.In his final address to a jury, Lawyer Wilson exhibits his knowledge of the cutting edge technology of the day by referring to:

A)fingerprints as forensic evidence.
B)firearms as forensic evidence.
C)blood stains as forensic evidence.
D)None of these choices.
E)​All of these choices.

Question 15

During which week of gestation are fingerprints formed?

A)10th
B)20th
C)30th
D)40th

Question 16

Contrary to what we see on television, fingerprint matching is not carried out by a computer in a matter of seconds.

Question 17

To recover a fingerprint from a surface that is not smooth and hard requires different chemicals.The chemical used purely for paper is____________________________.

Question 18

While looking at the basic fingerprint patterns can quickly help eliminate a suspect, in order to positively match a print found at a crime scene to an individual, more is needed.Every individual, including identical twins, has a unique fingerprint due to unique ridge patterns called:

A)small details.
B)ridge details.
C)minutiae.
D)ridge minutiae.

Question 19

Who verified that fingerprints do not change with age?

A)Dr.Nehemiah Grew
B)Sir Francis Galton
C)Sir William Herschel
D)Jan Evangelist Purkyn

Question 20

In 1879, the assistant clerk in the records office at the police station in Paris created a way to identify criminals.The system was first used in 1883 to identify repeat offenders.The name of the clerk who invented the system was:

A)Sir William Herschel.
B)Sir William Herschey.
C)Alphonse Bertillon.
D)Alphonse Herschel.

Question 21

There are about _______________________________ individual ridge characteristics on the average full fingerprint.

Question 22

Dr.Sue Jickells is doing research to learn how things criminals may touch, such as explosives, cigarettes, and drugs, can leave behind traces on the skin.When identified and studied, these trace substances could tell us much more about the lives of fingerprint donors than just their _____________________________ .

Question 23

Many experts claim that fingerprint identification is flawless.However, it is humans that input and analyze the information, and humans make mistakes.In 1995, 156 fingerprint examiners were given a test.One in five examiners made at least one "___________________________" identification.