To characterize and compare paint chips by color and composition.

A variety of automotive paint chips, some of similar color. Find a junk yard and obtain samples from automobiles whose paint is peeling. Store the chips in plastic bags, and assign chips to each suspect and to the crime scene.

None

Standard Reference Material

None

Optical microscopy (structure, layers)

Visible, diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry (color)

Infrared, diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry (composition of resin coating)

Optical microscope, Visible spectrophotometer with diffuse reflectance accessory ; FT-infrared spectrophotometer with diffuse reflectance accessory

For instructor (detailed); For student (brief)

Visible reflectance spectra of red and blue paints ; Infrared reflectance spectra of red and blue paints ; Description of the results.