Crime Scene chemistry - visualizing and evaluating latent fingerprints

摘要

Why do we leave fingerprints? How to use methods to visualize latent fingerprints in school? How can a fingerprint comparison be realized? In this article you will find answers to these and other exciting questions about fingerprints. After a general insight into the topic of fingerprints, two methods suitable for chemistry lessons are presented for the visualization of latent fingerprints. In addition to the already known and by the authors modified cyanoacrylate fuming method, a new type of a scientifically researched process - the so-called electrochemical method - is discussed. On the basis of the introduced experiments, classical topics of chemistry education, such as polymerization reactions, cementation and electrolysis can be embedded in a motivating forensic context. Finally, a free software is presented, which makes it easy and fast to compare fingerprints in the classroom.