Module 4 - Forensic Ballistics
Glossary
Glossary
ammunition: projectiles, such as bullets, together with their fuses and primers that can be fired from guns or otherwise propelled
bipod: a stand having two legs, as for the support of an instrument or a weapon
calibre: the diameter of the bore of a firearm, traditionally shown in hundredths or thousandths of an inch, but may be in millimetres
carbine: a lightweight rifle with a short barrel
cavitation: the formation of an empty space within a solid object or body
concealment: hiding or kept from being seen, found, or discovered
combustion: a chemical change accompanied by the production of heat and light
corrodes: the gradual destruction of a metal or alloy, especially oxidizing or chemical action (rusting)
firing pin: the part of the bolt or breech of a firearm that strikes the primer and detonates the charge of a projectile (bullet)
gun barrel: the tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired
kinetic energy: the energy possessed by a body because of its motion
muzzle: the forward, discharging end of the barrel of a firearm
pellets: small, metal balls found within certain types of shotgun cartridges
polyatomic ions: an ion of two or three atoms that has a charge and acts as a single unit (for example, hydroxide ion = oh-)
projectile: a fired or propelled object, such as a bullet, that with no capacity for self-propulsion
propellant: something that propels or provides thrust; especially gunpowder
reagent: a substance used in a chemical reaction to detect, measure, examine, or produce other substances
ricochet: to rebound or bounce at least once from a surface
semi-automatic: a firearm that requires a squeeze of the trigger for each shot, but it ejects the cartridge casing and loads the next round of ammunition automatically
Tarot cards: a set of cards to represent virtues, vices, death, and fortune, etc.; used by fortune-tellers
trajectory: the path through space of a projectile or other moving body
velocity: the speed and direction of a body in motion
By the end of Lesson 1, the student should be able to…
- understand that forensic ballistics involves the scientific analysis of evidence from crime scenes in which firearms were used (for example, firearms, bullets, bullet holes, bullet trajectories, cartridges cases, gunshot wounds)
- appreciate that forensic ballistics involves internal ballistics, external ballistics, and terminal ballistics
- outline the major components of a handgun cartridge, a rifle cartridge, and a shotgun shell
- describe how the structure, function, velocity, kinetic energy, and trajectory of the three main types of firearms differ
- graph and analyze data to compare the average velocity, kinetic energy, and trajectory of handgun, rifle, and shotgun rounds