Practice Exam

Question 1

Explain the Scientists determine what elements a star is made of by studying the light it
emits. They compare the spectrum of the starlight to reference spectra of known elements.

The diagram below shows the characteristic spectral line patterns of four elements. Also
shown is the spectrum of a star that contains two of these elements.

Which two of these elements are present in the star? Justify your choice

Question 2

Comparing high pressure liquid Chromotography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography (GC)
explain why a forensic chemist might use Gas Chromatography (GC) over (HPLC).
Question 3

a) Explain fully the steps involved in obtaining some essential crime scene evidence
from the above crime scene. (note: same scene just different angles)

b) Give one or more pieces of evidence that could be analysis with any instrumental
analysis method and explain how it could help police investigators
Question 4

Horse Racing Forensic Laboratory’ to test for the presence of illegal drugs in racehorses. A
concentrated sample of urine is spotted onto chromatography paper on the start line.
Alongside this, known drugs are spotted. The chromatogram is run using methanol as the
solvent. When finished, the paper is read by placing under ultra-violet light. A
chromatogram of urine from four racehorses is shown.

a) The
results
for
known
drugs
are
given
as

‘Rf values’ calculate the Rf value for caffine

b) Explain the meaning of the word ‘solvent’ ;

c) State two factors which determine the distance a substance travels up the paper.

d) From the results the sample from one horse contains an illegal substance. State the
horse, and the drug present. Justify your reasoning for this drug.

Question 5
Explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative testing using an example that
would be relative to forensic crime scene analysis.

Question 6

Name an advantage that Atomic absorption spectroscopy analysis of a sample may have
over other instrumental forensic test such as chromatography.
Question 7

Shellfish are particularly good at concentrating heavy metals in seawater. A sample from
scallops was analysed for cadmium using atomic absorption spectroscopy and the following
results were obtained:

Concentration (ppm) Absorbance

0 0.00
2 0.10
4 0.20
6 0.30
8 0.40
10 0.50

a) Construct a graph for the data.

b) One of the scallops was removed from its shell and chopped finely in a food processor. A
2.0g portion was heated on a hotplate with 10ml nitric acid. The mixture was then analysed
using AAS.

A sample of scallops gave an absorbance of 0.42. Determine:

i) The concentration of cadmium in the 10ml solution (in ppm)