Processing Porous and Non-Porous Surfaces

Processing Porous and Non-Porous Surfaces

Part One

For this assignment, you will process a variety of porous and nonporous items for latent prints using black fingerprint powder or crushed charcoal. Choose between 5–10 different types of surfaces (porous and nonporous). It is very important to pick a variety of different surfaces for this Assignment. Some types of surfaces that you would expect to find fingerprints on include:

• Microwave, Oven


• Door knob, window, sliding-glass door


• Bathroom mirror, toilet seat,


• Paper items around the house (at least two)


• Cars


• Soda cans


• Bowls and dishes, glasses, etc.

Describe your experience in a 300–500-word essay, addressing the following questions:

1. How many different prints or partial prints did you locate?


2. What types of objects did you lift the prints from? Where were they located?


3. What supplies did you use? What technique did you use to apply the powder?


4. Did you expect to find more prints, or fewer?


5. Can you identify the prints as different from one another? How?


6. Identify which items are porous, and which are non-porous.

Provide as many details about your successes and failures as you can.

Part Two

In this part of the assignment you will determine the effects of water on latent prints.

• Take a drinking glass and handle it, making sure to leave fingerprint impressions on it.


• Immerse the glass in water for several hours.


• After a significant length of time, visually examine the glass and see if you can still see your fingerprints.


• Attempt this in a variety of conditions such as hot water, cold water, soapy water, or salt water.


• Keep notes on your results under each condition.


• Hypothesize reasons for similar and dissimilar results under the varying conditions.

Describe your experience in a 300-500-word essay and discuss your results from this experiment. INCLUDE PHOTOS OF YOUR WORK TO MAXIMIZE YOUR POINTS.

Put Parts one and two into ONE Word document and submit it via the Unit 10 Assignment 2 Dropbox.

Submitting Your Assignment

Compose your paper in Word and save your document in the following format: Last name First name Assignment. (Example: SmithJohn Unit 10 Assignment 2). Submit your Assignment by selecting the Unit 10: Assignment 2 Dropbox by the end of Unit 10.

Download the Assignment Checklist.