Modern Application for

Introductory Physics:
Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
John Eric Goff
Lynchburg College
 New Field of Interest:
Forensic Science

• Television shows and movies influence student

interests.
• Forensic Science courses, minors, and majors are
springing up around the country. (New course here
at LC!)
• Watch for some very BAD science on TV and in
movies!
 Forensic Science is
VERY Interdisciplinary!!!

• Biology • Biochemistry
• Chemistry • Biophysics
• Physics • Physical Chemistry
• Mathematics • Environmental Science
• Law • Handwriting
• Psychology • Medicine
• Sociology • Hobbies???
 I got help with
this talk!

http://www.bloodspatter.com/
(The tutorial is great! However,
beware of some poor physics in a
few places!)
 Bloodstain Patterns

• Physical Evidence
• Usually Found at Violent Crime Scenes
• Gives Clues as to WHAT Happened
• May Suggest Sequence of Events
• Analysis MUST be placed in context of
all aspects of crime scene investigation
in order to reconstruct (possible)
criminal events.
 Different Types of
Bloodstain Patterns

• Passive Bloodstains (drops, pools, etc.)

• Transfer Bloodstains (wipe a weapon,
etc.)
• Active (or “Projected”) Bloodstains
(bullets, stepping in blood, etc.)
 Active (or “Projected”)
Bloodstains
 Rule of Thumb: As impact angle goes down,
bloodstain shape becomes more elongated.
 Active (or “Projected”)
Bloodstains
Impact Spatter – Blood source is
“smacked” in some way and drops fly
off in various directions.
Divide category further by blood’s
impact speed.
 Low Velocity
• velocity ≤ 5 ft/s
• stain size is (relatively) large: diameter ≥ 4mm
• examples: blood drops into blood and footstep
spatters
 Medium Velocity
• 5 ft/s ≤ velocity ≤ 25 ft/s
• stain size : 1 mm ≤ diameter ≤ 4mm
• examples: blood flicked off finger and blunt
object used on victim
 High Velocity
• velocity ≥ 100 ft/s (≈ 68 mph)
• stain size (relatively small): diameter ≤ 1mm
• examples: gunshots and propellers
 Time for Physics!

 Big Forensic Science Question: “From

where did the blood come???”
 one exception!

tail points in
direction of
travel
 sin θ = W / L

W
L

What does W = L mean?

sin θ = 1 → θ = 90°
Drop is a circle!
 Real World!
 What if blood drop is not a pretty oval?!?

Do the best you can!!!

 Physics and Math

• Work backwards from blood spatter to

determine “launch position” of blood.
• BE AWARE of all approximations that
are used in analysis! (This is a great
example for teaching students about
approximations in physics.)
Look for Convergence!
Real Crime Scene
 Get Computer Help
(Software is available!)

Notice the “top view”!

 Big Problem!!!

 Neither blood nor anything else

travels unaided in a straight line
through the air!
 Example
• Consider “medium velocity” blood drop
of diameter 3 mm “launched” at a
position 1 m off the ground.
• Numbers: v = 20 ft/s (6 m/s) & θ = -10°
parallel to ground

θ = -10°
1m
v = 20 ft/s
ground
What about gravity???
 What about air resistance???
(Drop’s speed and size are
needed. Tough to know!)

What about gravity???

 Moral of the Story
 Calculation using “straight-line”
trajectory (no gravity and no air
resistance) predicts a “launch” point
higher than actual point.
 “Straight-line” trajectory is reasonable
for high “launch” velocities and/or stain
and “launch” points “close” together.
(The idea is to keep the flight time as
short as possible.)
 More accuracy requires a better model
and more specialized work.
 Forensic Science Literature
The Directional Analysis of Bloodstain
Patterns: Theory and Experimental
Validation by A. L. Carter

 “Therefore, the best one can do here is to

estimate an upper limit for the height of
the source.” (p. 181)

Can. Soc. Forens. Sci. J. Vol. 34. No. 4 (2001) pp. 173-189