Science Mystery, Part V-B: How We Analyzed Fingerprints

Now that they had some practice in identifying fingerprints, we applied this knowledge to our mystery.

This is the glass that was found at the crime scene.
We "developed" the fingerprints, or make them so that we could see them so that we could compare and identify them.

This part we did for my students as Super Glue or Cyanoacrylate is a dangerous gas if inhaled. We opened up the bag we had put our glass with fingerprints in and got the other materials together. 

We took a small piece of aluminum foil and we squeezed 5 – 8 drops of Krazy Glue on it.  

We carefully placed the aluminium foil in a corner of the bag and then we quickly closed the bag and let it sit in a safe place.

Ours prints were visible in a few hours.

Once the prints were developed, the boys compared them to the prints of the suspects to make matches.
You can play along, too. Here are the prints taken from the glass.*




And here are the suspects' prints.

Mr Green

Mrs. Peacock

Mrs White

Miss Scarlet

Professor Plum

Col. Mustard

And here are Mr. Body's fingerprints

Can you tell whose prints are on the glass?

Who does that point us to?
If you wish, you can make note of it on your worksheet.

(*I could not get good enough photos of the fingerprints we revealed on our glass so that you could identify them. The photos came from here.)