EARLMONT S. HERRERA
3RD YEAR
BS – CRIMINOLOGY
Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology
Performance Task 1
1. Define forensic Chemistry and its role in forensic investigation
You're certainly familiar with this scene from any crime scene investigation program: a
body is discovered or some other awful act is committed, and the investigators gather
evidence there. The forensic scientist is called in when there are additional items at the
crime scene in addition to blood and fingerprints that may or may not seem related to
the crime. A forensic chemist's role is to examine any non-biological items that are not
made of living organisms that are discovered at a crime scene and determine how they
relate to the person who committed the crime. The forensic chemist must ascertain the
chemical composition of the materials and ascertain where the materials originated. In
addition to running tests, the forensic chemist must record his or her findings in an
official report. The forensic chemist may also be required to testify about the findings in
a court of law. There are several areas that need to be taken into consideration in the
field of forensic chemistry. To identify unknown compounds and match samples to
recognized substances, forensic chemists examine non-biological trace evidence
obtained at crime scenes.They also analyze drugs/controlled substance taken from
scene and people in order to identify and sometimes quantify those materials. They
perform tests on samples obtained by investigators while working in a lab.
2. 7Identify the characteristics and main function of forensic chemist7
The characteristic of the forensic chemis, Be able to spend hours rigorously applying
analytical techniques to evidence , Clearly and concisely answer challenges to his/her
findings and Possess moral integrity
