Hypothesis

1) a) Powders that provide a color contrast to the item color will provide the clearer and more easily identifiable fingerprints from each item. Fluorescent powder will give the best print on multi-colored surfaces.

b) It will be possible to develop fingerprints found on most of the different item materials that could be found at a crime scene. It will not be possible to develop fingerprints on cloth and rope because of the texture of the fibers.

c) Fingerprints developed and lifted from items that have smooth and flat surfaces will be more clear and identifiable than those found on items with rough or curved surfaces.

d) The number of items that can be developed from each room depends on the material and surface type of the items found in each particular room.

2) It will be difficult to develop a system of assigning a quantitative number to each fingerprint regarding clarity, detail of the ridges and how well it matches with the original print. Fingerprinting is mostly a qualitative analysis and it is hard to take something qualitative and make it quantitative while maintaining consistency.