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Fingerprinting Answer Key

Vocabulary: accidental whorl, arch, central pocket loop whorl, double loop whorl, fingerprint,
fingerprint dust, latent print, loop, minutiae, patent print, plain arch, plain whorl, plastic print,
radial loop, tented arch, ulnar loop, whorl

Prior Knowledge Question (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

[Note: The purpose of these questions is to activate prior knowledge and get students thinking.
Students are not expected to know the answer to the Prior Knowledge Question.]

Fingerprints are complex patterns of ridges on the

fingertips that help you to grasp and hold onto objects.
At right are examples of the three main types of
fingerprints. How would you describe each print?

A. Print A has ridges that enter from one side, rise in the middle, and exit on the other side.

B. Print B has ridges that enter from one side, loop around, and exit on the same side.

C. Print C has ridges that form concentric circles.

Gizmo Warm-up
Welcome to the CSI training lab! In the Fingerprinting Gizmo
you will learn how to find, collect, classify, and match
fingerprints collected from the crime scene to suspects.

Check that the Training mode is selected. In the crime lab,

someone has come in and “stolen” valuable equipment,
leaving their fingerprints behind. Your job is to find and
collect the fingerprints. Click Continue to enter the lab.

1. Click on the lab door. What do you notice? A dark spot located right of the door handle.

2. The smudge you see is a fingerprint. Drag and release the camera over the fingerprint to
take a photograph. Now look at the definitions of the three types of crime-scene prints.

What kind of print is an impression in a soft substance such as wax? Plastic

What kind of print is formed from skin oils and is normally invisible? Latent

Which print is formed from a visible substance transferred by the fingers? Patent

Which type of print was found on the door? Patent

Select your answer and click Check. Correct your answer if needed.

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Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:

Collect prints  Check that Collect prints is selected.

Introduction: Prints collected at a crime scene can be grouped into three categories. Patent
prints are made when fingers transfer a visible substance, such as blood, onto another surface.
Plastic prints are formed when an impression is made on a soft surface, such as wet paint.
Latent prints are made by the oils of the finger and are invisible to the naked eye.

Question: How are fingerprints collected at a crime scene?

1. Explore: Look for other visible prints by clicking on different parts of the crime lab. (Hint:
There are two visible prints in total.) You can select Show all locations to see which parts
of the lab you can see up close. Photograph and classify each print that you find.

2. Observe: After finding the two visible prints, you will see a duster appear in the upper right
corner. The duster spreads fingerprint powder, which sticks to the skin oils that make up
latent prints, allowing them to be seen. Drag the duster into the lab to dust for prints.

Now search the room again. When you find a latent print, collect the print by dragging the
roll of tape over the print. (Latent prints are collected using tape, which sticks to the
fingerprint powder.) Collect and classify the three remaining prints.

A. On what types of surfaces are latent fingerprints most likely to be found?

Sample answer: Smooth surfaces such as glass, plastic, or tile.

B. Why do you think prints stick to these surfaces?

Sample answer: Latent prints are made of oils, which are not absorbed into these
surfaces. [If the oils are absorbed into the surface, a fingerprint will not form.]

3. Infer: Latent fingerprints are composed of skin oils.

A. What might cause a person to leave faint or incomplete prints?

Sample answer: A person may have low skin oils from washing their hands.

B. If you wished to leave no fingerprints behind, what could you do?

Sample answer: Wear gloves, wash your hands, or avoid touching smooth surfaces.

4. Apply: Once you have collected the rest of the prints, complete the following sentences.

A. If you touch a partially melted candy bar, a plastic print might form.

B. If you dip your finger in ink and touch the wall, a patent print might form.

C. If you hold a drinking glass, a latent print might form.

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Get the Gizmo ready:

Activity B:
 After collecting the training scene prints, press
Classify prints
Continue to go to the Classify prints step.

Introduction: While every fingerprint is unique, fingerprints tend to follow one of three patterns:
arch, loop, and whorl. In this activity, you will identify the group and subgroup of each print.

Question: How are fingerprints classified?

1. Observe: Read the descriptions of the three main pattern groups at the top of the screen.
How can you distinguish a loop from an arch?

In a loop print, the ridges enter and exit from the same side. In an arch print, the ridges enter
and exit on opposite sides.

2. Describe: Within each group are two or more subgroups. At the top of the screen, select
Arch subgroups, Loop subgroups, and Whorl subgroups.

A. How can you distinguish a plain arch from a tented arch?

In a plain arch, ridges rise and fall gently. In a tented arch ridges rise and fall sharply.

B. How can you distinguish an ulnar loop from a radial loop?

In an ulnar loop, ridges enter and exit from the little finger side of the hand. In a radial
loop, ridges enter and exit from the thumb side of the hand.

Note: Because your thumbs are on opposite sides, left-hand ulnar loops resemble
right-hand radial loops, and left-hand radial loops look like right-hand ulnar loops.

C. Write a quick description of each whorl subgroup.

Plain whorl: The print consists of concentric circles.

Central pocket loop whorl: Ridges form circles inside of a loop.

Double loop whorl: The print consists of two loops.

Accidental whorl: Ridges form two or more different patterns.

3. Classify: There are three suspects in this “burglary.” Using the exemplar images, classify
each of the suspect prints. To do this, drag each print into one of the subgroup bins on the
right. Then classify each of the crime scene prints.

Why is it impossible to tell if a crime scene print is an ulnar loop or a radial loop?

For a crime scene print, you do not know if the print came from the left or right hand.
Therefore, you do not know if the ridges enter from the thumb or little finger side of the hand.

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Activity C:
Get the Gizmo ready:
Identifying
 Once you have classified all of the training scene
minutiae and
prints, click Continue or select Identify minutiae.
matching prints

Introduction: While two fingerprints may belong to the

same subgroup and may look very similar, how can you tell
if they really came from the same finger? One way is to
identify tiny details, called minutiae (my NEW she a). In
this activity, you will learn how to find minutiae and use
minutiae to match fingerprints. You will then be ready to
solve crimes!

Question: Can fingerprints be used to solve a crime?

1. Observe: Drag the first print into the large white box.
What interesting details do you think might help to
match this print to a crime scene print? Circle some of
these in the image at right.

Look at the list of minutiae to the left of the print. Which

minutiae do you see on the big print?

The print contains two short ridges, an island, a trifurcation, a ridge ending, and a spur.

2. Identify: To label minutiae, drag a label from the Minutiae list on the left to the correct spot
on the print. Identify as many as you can find. Repeat this process for each print.

A. Which minutiae did you find on the second print?

Island, spur, bridge, and bifurcation.

B. Which minutiae did you find on the third print?

Ridge crossing, lake, double bifurcation, short ridge, and island.

3. Match: When you have found at least one example of each type of minutia, click Continue
to move on to the Match prints section. Drag the first collected print to the main area.

A. Which type of print is this? Plain whorl

B. Select Jill Johnson, then click the right arrow until you find a print that looks identical

to the collected print. Which print did you pick? Answers will vary.

(Activity C continued on next page)

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Activity C (continued from previous page)

4. Identify: When you think you have a good match, click Find minutiae. To match the prints,
you will need to identify three common minutiae in the two prints. Label minutiae that match
in each print. After identifying the minutiae, the Gizmo will tell you if the prints match.

Which suspect print matched the collected print? Marcus Morris right index

5. Solve the case: Next to Compare, select Prints of the same subgroup to only see suspect
prints of the same subgroup as the collected print. Match the remaining collected prints.

A. Which suspect matched all of the collected prints? Marcus Morris

B. Click Solve crime, choose the suspect, and click Check. Were you correct? Yes

Congratulations! You have completed your crime scene investigator (CSI) training as a
fingerprint analyst. Now you are ready to solve “real” crimes!

6. Apply: Under Mode, select Crime scene 1. This is a sinister case of sabotaged stew in a
swanky restaurant. Use the procedures you have learned to collect fingerprints, classify
fingerprints, and use minutiae to match collected fingerprints to suspect fingerprints.

Which suspect broke into the Glitzy Gala kitchen and sabotaged the stew?

Suspect 1 (Sandra Alexander)

7. Apply: Select Crime scene 2, where Dorothy Dalrymple’s diamonds were burgled. Collect,
classify, and match the fingerprints from this scene.

A. Which suspect (or suspects) left prints in the bedroom?

Suspects 1 and 3 (Dorothy Dalrymple and Nancy Nimble)

B. Which suspect is the most likely thief, and why do you think so?

Sample answer: The thief is probably Nancy Nimble because Dorothy Dalrymple
would be expected to leave prints in her own bedroom.

8. Think and discuss: Fingerprinting is great for proving that a person was at a crime scene,
but it can’t solve every crime. What are some of the limitations of using fingerprints as
evidence? If possible, discuss your thoughts with your classmates and teacher.

Sample answer: A criminal may not leave fingerprints behind if he or she was wearing
gloves or did not touch any smooth surfaces. People with very clean, dry hands also may
not leave behind usable fingerprints. Fingerprints can establish if a person was at the scene
of the crime but cannot determine when the person was there or if the person actually
committed the crime.

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