Forensics C

[bernard]

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Forensics Test Exchange 2017
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[Magikarpmaster629]

I got my rules, and there are two changes. One is that they replaced cat and dog hair with cow and squirrel hair. The other is that we are no longer allowed a binder and can only bring five double sided sheets of paper.

[Unome]

no longer allowed a binder

IMO you should be celebrating. It means event sups are less likely to ask random off-the-cuff fact-based questions, plus five sheets is (in my limited experience) more than enough for any event.

[daydreamer0023]

no longer allowed a binder

IMO you should be celebrating. It means event sups are less likely to ask random off-the-cuff fact-based questions, plus five sheets is (in my limited experience) more than enough for any event.

Ah, well. Suppose that's better than a single cheat sheet from a couple years ago. Meanwhile, cow and squirrel hair...anyone got any pictures on that?

[Panda Weasley]

no longer allowed a binder

IMO you should be celebrating. It means event sups are less likely to ask random off-the-cuff fact-based questions, plus five sheets is (in my limited experience) more than enough for any event.

Ah, well. Suppose that's better than a single cheat sheet from a couple years ago. Meanwhile, cow and squirrel hair...anyone got any pictures on that?

I was so confused when I heard they switched those two hairs. I guess not everyone has easy access to cows and squirrels.

[Magikarpmaster629]

IMO you should be celebrating. It means event sups are less likely to ask random off-the-cuff fact-based questions, plus five sheets is (in my limited experience) more than enough for any event.

Ah, well. Suppose that's better than a single cheat sheet from a couple years ago. Meanwhile, cow and squirrel hair...anyone got any pictures on that?

I was so confused when I heard they switched those two hairs. I guess not everyone has easy access to cows and squirrels.

There are pictures on google images. I haven't looked up how hard it is to get them, but I think there's a good chance we won't see them until MIT or nationals.

[sciduck]

Ah, well. Suppose that's better than a single cheat sheet from a couple years ago. Meanwhile, cow and squirrel hair...anyone got any pictures on that?

I was so confused when I heard they switched those two hairs. I guess not everyone has easy access to cows and squirrels.

There are pictures on google images. I haven't looked up how hard it is to get them, but I think there's a good chance we won't see them until MIT or nationals.

Haha, it took me weeks to find squirrel and cow hairs. If you really need them I would buy squirrel brushes. Apparently every Russian artist I know has them, but you can also buy them online: http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick ... l-brushes/ https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss ... rrel+brush As for cow hairs, I asked the same farmers who gave me horse hair last year.
Good luck~

[daydreamer0023]

Just wondering, is salt the only powder with a cubic crystal? Silly question, I know.

[Magikarpmaster629]

Just wondering, is salt the only powder with a cubic crystal? Silly question, I know.

I don't think crystal shape works well for IDing powders, although I haven't tried much. I think they're extremely variable, and lack of consistency makes it hard to ID. I would think that at least KCl would also have a cubic structure, since it's very similar chemically to NaCl.

[pikachu4919]

Just wondering, is salt the only powder with a cubic crystal? Silly question, I know.

I don't think crystal shape works well for IDing powders, although I haven't tried much. I think they're extremely variable, and lack of consistency makes it hard to ID. I would think that at least KCl would also have a cubic structure, since it's very similar chemically to NaCl.

Yeah I mean considering the national supervisor's description of sodium acetate is "very fine white powder" and the sample of sodium acetate we had at our school was medium-sized clear crystals, I'd say really don't rely on the physical appearance of the powder as a key identifier. There are plenty of other ones you can use that are far more robust.