Ohio University Forensic Chemistry Lab, Fingerprinting

Undergraduate students in a Forensic Chemistry Lab demonstrate how to develop fingerprints using a variety of methods: Cyanoacrylate (super glue)fuming, dusting, and iodine fuming.

The production of this video was supported through a grant from NSF (0745590), and is freely available for educational purposes. The opinions expressed in this video are those of the students and do not necessarily reflect those of Ohio University or the National Science Foundation.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Forensic
• Science
• chemistry
• fingerprinting
• development
• cyanoacrylate
• fuming
• super
• glue
• iodine
• dusting
• crime
• CSI

[grivera92]

what liquid are you adding to the cyanoacrylate to see the fingerprints in the bag?

i'm doing this lab activity soon

[massspecguru]

Cyanoacrylate was added to an accelerator. The accelerator is a brown-paper-like substance which helps the cyanoacrylate evaporate. The polymer film develops faster in humid, basic conditions, so we sometimes add a beaker of hot water to the chamber, too.

[ninjacops100]

I didn't know that OSU had a forensics lab. Thanks for sharing.

[massspecguru]

Just to clarify, we are Ohio University (Athens, OH), not Ohio State University (Columbus, OH). As far as I know, we are the only forensic chemistry program in the state of Ohio.

[ashleimytho]

hey im 10 and i would like to know if you can send me information about forensic science and about forensic chemist

[massspecguru]

We provide a number of articles about forensic science and forensic chemistry careers on our program's website. The link is here: ohio.edu/chemistry/forensic/ca­reer_information

[MrCriticize]

These students are obviously cut out for the job as they were shades and dress all in black but where's the slick cgi effects? Where's the computer that finds a perfect match in seconds? this is fake

[thinkladythink]

I would think people working in such an important Lad would be required to put up hair in a net ... people that work with food are reqirred too and people tring to solve a crime should also .. so that lab and samples are not contaminated, These people hold peoples lives in their hands, no wonder there are innocent people in jail and manics walking the streets... cross contamanation is as bad as the crimes,

[massspecguru]

Yes, there is a national database called AFIS (Automated fingerprint identification system) which is managed by the FBI. Some states also have their own AFIS databases.

[IamAtree000001]

is there a big computer bank of finger prints? like what do they do when they find finger prints