Crime Scene Chemistry for the Armchair Sleuth

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 11 APOLOGIA 15 INTRODUCTION: THE CHEMISTRY OF CRIME 17 The Case of the Innovative Introduction 18 Public Safety and Personal, Too 23 Crime Lab and Crime Solutions 25 Part I. Bare-Bones Chemistry 39 Demonstration 1. A Significant Difference 43 CHAPTER 1. CONFIDENCE IN CHEMISTRY AND CONFIDENCE IN CLUES: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DIGITS 47 The Case of the Presumptive Perp 47 Demonstration 2. Cashing It In 57 CHAPTER 2. IMPROBABLE PROFILING: FINDING MASSIVE CLUES 59 The Case of the Significant Other 59 Demonstration 3. The Color of Crime 67 CHAPTER 3. MY DEAR WATSON: ELEMENTS AND THE EVIDENCE THEY CONTAIN 71 The Case of the Mystifying Metal 71 Demonstration 4. Chromatography and Crime 81 CHAPTER 4. ISOLATING THE WITNESS: SCREENING TESTS TELL 85 The Case of the Dueling Drugs 85 Demonstration 5. A Case of Friction 93 CHAPTER 5. FATAL ATTRACTION: INTERMOLECULAR FORCES MAKE THE CHARGES STICK 97 The Case of the Sticky Situation 97 Demonstration 6. The Current Case 105 CHAPTER 6. VOLATILE SITUATION: MASS, GAS, AND CHEMICAL FINGERPRINTS 109 The Case of the Validating Vacuum 109 Demonstration 7. Place of Confinement 117 CHAPTER 7. TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING: ESTABLISHING CONCENTRATION LEVELS 123 A Case of Strong Medicine 123 Demonstration 8. Solid Evidence 131 CHAPTER 8. CRYSTAL-CLEAR CRIME: MICROCRYSTALLINE IDENTIFICATION 133 The Case of the Sweet Surrender 133 Part II. Felonious Interactions 139 Demonstration 9. Physical Evidence 141 CHAPTER 9. A CHANGE FOR THE WORSE: WHEN IT GETS PHYSICAL 145 The Case of the Physical Flaw 145 Demonstration 10. Precipitating Events 153 CHAPTER 10. CHEMISTRY UNDER THE INFLUENCE: COMPOUNDING THE CRIME 157 A Case of Nerves 157 Demonstration 11. Seeing Red, Wearing Blue 165 CHAPTER 11. ACRIMONIOUS ADVERSITY: ACID-BASE CHEMISTRY 169 The Case of the Cracked Case 170 Demonstration 12. Reduced to Essentials 181 CHAPTER 12. BURNING PASSION: RUNAWAY REDOX REACTIONS 185 The Case of the Reducing Rat 186 Demonstration 13. Incriminating Chemistry 193 CHAPTER 13. THE SMOKING GUN: EXPLOSIVE CHEMICAL REACTIONS 195 The Case of the Material Witness 195 Demonstration 14. Three Strikes and a Foul 201 CHAPTER 14. IN HOT WATER: THERMOCHEMISTRY 205 A Very Cold Case 205 Demonstration 15. Sequence of Events 211 CHAPTER 15. DOING TIME: THE IMPORTANCE OF CHEMICAL REACTION RATES 215 A Matter of Timing 215 Demonstration 16. Extracting the Truth 223 CHAPTER 16. THE CLUE IS IN THE GUE: PHYSICAL EQUILIBRIUM 229 The Case of the Perfect Grime 229 Demonstration 17. Evidence Indicating Otherwise 237 CHAPTER 17. EQUAL, JUST AS FOR ALL: CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM 241 The Case of the Well-Handled Crime 241 Part III. Interrogation Lights 251 Demonstration 18. Behind Prism Bars 255 CHAPTER 18. ENOUGH ROPE: INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY FOR FIBER AND MORE 257 A Case of Canine Karma 257 Demonstration 19. Examining the Evidence 267 CHAPTER 19. UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: MICROSCOPY 271 The Case of Courting Trouble 272 Demonstration 20. Point of Law 281 CHAPTER 20. SEXY SCIENCE: LASER ABLATION 283 The Case of the Subtle Smear 283 Demonstration 21. Illuminating Details 289 CHAPTER 21. THE GLARING TRUTH: CHEMILUMINESCENCE AND FLUORESCENCE 293 The Case of the Hirsute Homeless 293 Part IV. Corpus Delicti 301 Demonstration 22. Pointing the Finger 305 CHAPTER 22. THE PRINCE OF FORENSICS: FINGERPRINT TECHNOLOGY 311 The Case of the Elusive Acetone 311 Demonstration 23. A Bloody Shame 319 CHAPTER 23. STICKY CASES: BODILY FLUID IDENTIFICATION 323 The Case of the Contraband Confection 323 Demonstration 24. Sorting Out the Facts 331 CHAPTER 24. UNLOCKING THE CELL: DEATH, DECAY, AND DNA 337 The Case of the Flowery Felon 337 Demonstration 25. The Big Jolt 347 CHAPTER 25. SNIFFING OUT THE TRUTH: THE FUTURE OF FORENSIC CHEMISTRY 349 The Case of the Clean Getaway 349 POSTMORTEM 357 APPENDIX: THE PERIODIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS 358 ENDNOTES 361 BIBLIOGRAPHY 363 INDEX 365