U1s2 lab questions PDF

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1. Why is a chemical analysis used in forensic science?

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Chemical analysis is used in forensic science because on any submitted evidence in the lab it detects and identifies illegal drugs, and helps law enforcement prosecute offenders. If you are working as a forensic scientist and are given an unknown powder from a crime scene, what would you hope to find out about the powder? I would hope to find out that it is a drug, So it would be easier to identify, or it could be gun powder. You find that the unknown powder contains the illegal drug cocaine. If someone were to ask you to determine the purity of the substance, what would they mean? Why is purity important in criminal investigations? The substance is not composed entirely of cocaine, it is mixed with other materials. The purity refers to what percentage of the powder is cocaine, and what percentage is other materials. Purity can be important in criminal investigations to find out the value of the sample, and to pair it with previously found samples of equal purity to deduce that they came from the same source. Of the controlled substances, which schedule of drugs is the average person most likely to have in their homes? How have they controlled substances in this group different from those in the other schedule levels? The schedule of drugs that is mostly present at home is antibiotics. What are the dangers of synthetic drugs? Synthetic drugs have become popular since people believe it'll give you a "safe" high. Also, they’re easy to get a hold of and they're technically legal. These drugs are manmade, and as a result, the potency of the drug is in the hands of the manufacturer, which makes every dose different. These drugs could be laced with other drugs like fentanyl. Even a small amount of fentanyl could cause an overdose because that's how powerful it is. Drug tests don't pick up on synthetic drugs which is another reason why they're popular among teenagers since many teens look for a way to get high without getting caught. You can't tell if someone has taken anything and there's no familiar odour with synthetic drugs - some are odourless. The use of synthetic drugs can have many side effects that include: anxiety, aggressive behaviour, paranoia, seizures, loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, and even coma or death. What types of evidence might be collected by investigators that suspect illegal drugs are present at a crime scene? Anything that someone might have used for drugs If you were working on a drug smuggling case, where are three places that you might look for illegal drugs? someone’s house but you would have to have a warrant, trash can, and in disclosed locations Describe one type of test that might be used in forensic drug chemistry and when it might be used .There are two main types of tests used in forensic drug chemistry, presumptive tests and confirmatory tests. Forensic drug chemistry uses two tests for chemical analyses of a substance to find out whether any illegal drug is present or not. Presumptive tests are

less precise and it is usually colorimetric. Confirmatory tests provide identification and use instrumental analysis to positively identify the contents of suspected material. 9. What are some of the limitations of forensic drug chemistry? they cannot create drugs out of what they learned in chemistry although they can create one, their line of expertise is limited to the illegal drugs and crime committed acts. 10. Are controlled substances and illegal drugs the same thing? Why or why not? No, a controlled substance is a chemical compound that is "controlled," per se, by the government. Access to these substances is limited, hence the use of prescriptions for potentially addictive pharmaceuticals. An illegal drug is a substance deemed harmful, both to the body of one using the said substance and those in the society around it, and its use is, therefore, not allowed under the law....