Lesson 2 Fingerprints

Worksheet 2.1 Fingerprint Basics

1. Classify each of the following prints as loop, whorl or arch.

a. b. c.

2. While searching a murder scene, you believe the following items may contain latent fingerprints.
Indicate whether prints on each item should be developed using fingerprint powder or
chemicals.

a. A leather sofa
b. A mirror
c. A painted wooden knife handle
d. Blood-soaked newspapers

3. Fingerprints that deposited on a surface when oils and sweat are excreted from pores on the
friction ridges are called ________________ fingerprints.

4. The most common fingerprint pattern is the _________________ .

5. True or False
a. The individuality of a fingerprint is determined by its pattern.
b. Fingerprints cannot be changed during a person’s lifetime.
c. Arches have type lines, deltas and cores.
d. Identical twins have the same fingerprints.
e. Computerised fingerprint search systems match prints by
comparing the positions of bifurcations (分岔) and ridge
endings.
f. A fingerprint left by a person with soiled or stained fingertips is
called a latent print.

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Lesson 2 Fingerprints

Worksheet 2.2 Practice the identification skills

e.g. fork

Figure 1 ______________________________

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Instruction:
1. Examine the fingerprint (Figure 1) with a magnifying glass if necessary.
2. To which class does the fingerprint pattern belong? Write down your answer.
3. Use Table 1 to help identify fingerprint ridgeline details. Locate and label at least 8 positions
of ridgeline details in Figure 1.

Table 1 Fingerprint ridge details

Fork

Double Fork

Triple Fork

Delta

Dot

Bridge

Hook

Eye

Short Ridge

Ending Ridge

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Lesson 2 Fingerprints

Worksheet 2.3 Make a fingerprint

Method 1 Using a pencil and adhesive tape

1. Rub a 2B pencil over a white paper until it is covered with graphite.
2. Rub your index finger against your nose or forehead and place the finger on the center of a
microscope slide.
3. Press and roll your index finger firmly on the graphite pad and then press the finger a
transparent adhesive tape.
4. Stick the adhesive tape on a piece of paper.

Method 2 Using iodine

1. Take a piece of filter paper, press one of your finger on it.
2. Put the filter paper into a reagent bottle containing iodine solid, wait for about 10 minutes.

Method 3 Using iron powder

1. You were given a white tile, make a latent fingerprint on it.
2. Lightly sprinkle the iron powder onto the tile to apply a thin coating of iron powder onto
the latent print.
3. As the print becomes visible, you should shake the tile lightly until there is no excess iron
powder on it.
4. Use the adhesive tape to transfer the fingerprint.

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Results:
1. Latent prints of your thumb and index finger

2. Among all your fingerprints, the numbers of each pattern are as follows:
No. of Arches： __________
No. of Loops： __________
No. of Whorls： __________

Do all your fingerprints have the same pattern? ________________

3. List out the names of ridgeline details you can identify. Count the frequency of each ridgeline
detail.

Group discussions
1. Count the number of patterns of all fingerprints among your group. What is the population
percentage of each pattern?
2. Which pattern is most common among your group members?

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Lesson 2 Fingerprints

Worksheet 2.4 Try out the steps in analysing and comparing fingerprints

Case Profile
A suspect was arrested in a burglary case. When the suspect was fingerprinted, the desk
sergeant noticed something very unusual – his fingerprints somehow had been altered. The
suspect admitted that he had peeled off the skin from one of his thumbs and transplanted it
onto another thumb. The suspect even claimed that “I have new thumbprints. I am a
clean person.”
Furthermore, the police have recovered an excellent latent thumbprint from an unsolved
burglary case 3 years ago. There are some indications that these 2 cases may be related.

The recovered print and the suspect’s new thumbprints are provided for your analysis. Can a match
be made between the direct thumbprints from the suspect and the latent thumbprint found at the
crime scene? Imagine you are fingerprint examiner and you need to evaluate the presented
evidence, reach conclusions and provide findings in a report to the law enforcement authorities and
the court.

Known left
thumbprint from suspect Known right thumbprint from suspect
The five steps in analysing and comparing
fingerprints:
Step 1: Identify the general type of the central area of
the fingerprint.
Step 2: Match fingerprint ridgeline details.
Step 3: Compare the unknown print and the known
print, point by point, feature by feature, to see
if they match.
Recovered print from burglary scene Step 4: Evaluate whether the unknown print matches
the known print or not.
Step 5: A second examiner verifies the results.

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 Report

Known left thumbprint from suspect

Known right thumbprint from suspect

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 Recovered print from burglary scene

Can the suspect be identified? Summarise your findings and report conclusions to law enforcement
authorities and the court.