ballistics 1 Flashcards
What is Forensic Ballistics?
The science of firearm identification, involving the examination of fired bullets, shells, and firearms.
What does Ballistics study?
The study of projectile motion, derived from the Greek word Ballo (to throw).
What does Forensic mean?
The application of science to law for legal justice, originating from the Latin Forum.
What is Gyroscopic Action?
The stability of a spinning bullet in flight.
What is Direct Motion in Ballistics?
The forward motion of the bullet caused by gunpowder explosion.
What is Rotary Motion?
The spinning of a bullet due to rifling in the barrel.
What is Translational Motion?
The deflection of a bullet after striking a surface.
What is Ricochet?
The bouncing back or deflection of a bullet after hitting a hard surface.
What is Internal Ballistics?
The branch of ballistics that studies bullet behavior inside the firearm.
What is External Ballistics?
The branch of ballistics that has attributes and properties when the bullet is moving during its flight.
What is Muzzle Blast?
The noise created when a bullet exits the firearm.
What is Trajectory?
The curved path of a bullet in the air.
What is Terminal Ballistics?
The branch of ballistics that studies the bullet’s effect on a target.
What is Terminal Penetration?
The depth a bullet enters a target.
What is Field Investigation in Forensic Ballistics?
The branch of forensic ballistics concerned with collecting physical evidence from a crime scene.
What is Technical Examination?
The analysis, evaluation, and comparison of ballistic evidence in a crime lab.
What is Court Presentation?
The presentation of ballistic evidence in court.
What is Shot Ballistics?
The new branch of ballistics that deals with the study of smoothbore firearms.
What is Birdshot?
Small and numerous projectiles used for hunting.
What is Buckshot?
Larger projectiles commonly used in law enforcement and home defense.
What is a Single Projectile (Rifled Slug)?
A single, solid slug fired from a shotgun.
What is Gauge in shotguns?
The nominal caliber of a shotgun, expressed as the weight of a lead ball equal to the bore diameter.
What is a Choked Barrel?
A shotgun barrel designed to control the spread of shot.
What is Wound Ballistics?
The new branch of ballistics that studies the effects of gunshot wounds on the human body.
What is a Gunshot Wound (GSW)?
A wound caused by a bullet.
What is an Entrance Wound?
The wound where the bullet enters the body.
What is an Exit Wound?
The wound where the bullet exits the body.
What is Contact Discharge?
A gunshot fired while the muzzle is pressed against the skin, up to 2 inches away.
What is Close Discharge?
A gunshot fired from 2 to 6 inches away.
What is Distant Discharge?
A gunshot fired from beyond 6 inches.
What is Permanent Cavity?
The damage in the skin caused by a bullet.
What is a Contact Ring?
Burns caused by the contact of the gun’s bore with the skin.
What is a Grey Ring?
Dirt deposits at the wound margin from oil and metal fragments.
What are Micro Tears?
Small tears at the wound margin, usually caused by high-velocity rifle rounds.
What is Branding?
Burning of the wound caused by hot gases from gunpowder.
What is Tattooing?
Deposition of unburned gunpowder around a wound.
What is Smudging?
Deposition of smoke around a wound.
