Technology & Tools Flashcards
7 cards from real CFP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Technology & Tools flashcards as text
Infrared (IR) photography is most useful in forensic work for which application?
Answer: Revealing gunshot residue patterns and obliterated writing on dark fabrics or documents
IR penetrates or differentiates materials like GSR, inks, and blood on dark surfaces that look uniform in visible light.
Ultraviolet (UV) reflectance photography is commonly used to document which type of evidence?
Answer: Bite marks and healed bruising on skin
UV reflectance reveals surface-level skin injuries such as bite marks and old bruises that are faint in visible light.
A photographer uses focus stacking software on a series of cartridge case images. What problem does this technique solve?
Answer: Shallow depth of field at high magnification
Focus stacking combines multiple images focused at different depths to produce one image sharp throughout, overcoming macro depth-of-field limits.
Which storage practice best preserves the integrity of original digital images from a crime scene?
Answer: Write-protect and archive the original files unaltered, working only on duplicates
Preserving unaltered originals and performing all processing on copies maintains the evidentiary chain and authenticity.
What does a hash value (e.g., MD5 or SHA-256) generated at the time of image acquisition provide?
Answer: A digital fingerprint verifying the file has not been altered
A cryptographic hash uniquely identifies the file's exact contents, so any later change produces a different hash and proves alteration.
Which tool allows a forensic photographer to capture an entire room as a navigable 360-degree record?
Answer: A spherical panoramic camera or laser scanning system
Spherical panoramic cameras and 3D laser scanners produce immersive full-scene documentation used for virtual walkthroughs.
When using electronic flash in a smoky or dusty scene, what problem should the photographer anticipate?
Answer: Light scatter and backscatter reducing contrast and creating bright particle artifacts
Airborne particles reflect flash light back toward the lens, washing out the image and creating bright spots.