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    3.the Case of Liam Johnson

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    Corina Mihaela
    The document describes a case where Liam Johnson's body was found in the sea but his death is suspicious. Forensic samples were collected from his lungs, a tea cup, and sugar bowl at his home. As the forensic scientist, the student must decide which separation techniques to use on each sample to determine if Liam drowned at sea or was poisoned. Filtration, evaporation, distillation, and chromatography could be used. The results would help deduce what happened in the case and if further evidence is needed.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    3.the Case of Liam Johnson

    Uploaded by

    Corina Mihaela
    87 views7 pages
    The document describes a case where Liam Johnson's body was found in the sea but his death is suspicious. Forensic samples were collected from his lungs, a tea cup, and sugar bowl at his home. As the forensic scientist, the student must decide which separation techniques to use on each sample to determine if Liam drowned at sea or was poisoned. Filtration, evaporation, distillation, and chromatography could be used. The results would help deduce what happened in the case and if further evidence is needed.

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    The case of Liam Johnson

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    The document describes a case where Liam Johnson's body was found in the sea but his death is suspicious. Forensic samples were collected from his lungs, a tea cup, and sugar bowl at his home. As the forensic scientist, the student must decide which separation techniques to use on each sample to determine if Liam drowned at sea or was poisoned. Filtration, evaporation, distillation, and chromatography could be used. The results would help deduce what happened in the case and if further evidence is needed.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    87 views7 pages

    3.the Case of Liam Johnson

    Uploaded by

    Corina Mihaela
    The document describes a case where Liam Johnson's body was found in the sea but his death is suspicious. Forensic samples were collected from his lungs, a tea cup, and sugar bowl at his home. As the forensic scientist, the student must decide which separation techniques to use on each sample to determine if Liam drowned at sea or was poisoned. Filtration, evaporation, distillation, and chromatography could be used. The results would help deduce what happened in the case and if further evidence is needed.

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    The Case of Liam Johnson: using separating techniques to solve a crime

    The Case of
    Liam Johnson

    Using separating techniques to solve a crime

    Alison Graham
    Paul Redmond

    1
    The Case of Liam Johnson: using separating techniques to solve a crime

    Teachers notes

    The case of Liam Johnson


    ____________________________
    Syllabus links:
    Junior Certificate Science: 2A2 Separating substances using filtration, evaporation,
    distillation and paper chromatography

    Equipment required:
    Per group: Bunsen burner, gauze, pyrex beaker/evaporating dish
    Beaker, stirrer, filter funnel, filter paper
    Chromatography paper, beaker, wooden splint to support paper
    This activity works well in groups of 3- each person does one of the tests and they pool their
    results to come up with the answer

    What you need to do in advance:


    Photocopy sheets needed
    Lung water sample: tap water
    Tea sample: some cold tea
    Sugar sample: some dark brown sugar with powdered carbon/ iron filings
    added

    Expected results:
    Lung water sample: heating does not give salt
    Tea sample: chromatography does not show visible contamination
    Sugar sample: shows another substance when sugar dissolves

    Suggested answers to questions:


    1. Lung sample is not salt water so Liam was not drowned at sea- but may have drowned in
    swimming pool. (Discussion point: Negative results can be very important in giving
    information!)
    2. Tea sample shows no contamination (Discussion point: limitations of this method, visible
    contaminants revealed only- in Forensic labs separation of components of the mixture is
    followed by chemical detection)
    3. Sugar sample does show contamination.
    4. It is important that the students realise that there are often several ways to interpret results
    and it is important that scientists are able to think laterally of possible explanations! The
    evidence suggests that Liam was poisoned and/or drowned in the pool but then moved to
    the sea .
    5. What is the contamination in the sugar? Who else was in the house at the time? etc etc

    2
    The Case of Liam Johnson: using separating techniques to solve a crime

    6. Student worksheet

    The Case of Liam Johnson

    The crime
    This is a newspaper cutting about the discovery of a body at Howth Head.

    BODY FOUND AT HOWTH HEAD


    The body of Liam Johnson was pulled from the sea yesterday
    evening at Howth Head. Forensic scientists have placed time of
    death as sometime between 6 and 9 pm the previous evening. His
    grieving wife and daughters were too distraught to talk to the press
    but it is believed that his once booming business was now in some
    financial difficulties
    Irish Independent, May 7th 2009

    Although initially it looks like a tragic drowning accident the Gardai are not convinced
    that all is as it seems.

    3
    The Case of Liam Johnson: using separating techniques to solve a crime

    The Forensic team have collected samples at the post


    mortem and at the home of Liam Johnson where they
    found his towel near the pool ……

    …and a table with a used tea cup, tea pot and brown
    sugar.

    You are the Forensic Scientist appointed


    to investigate the samples collected
    which are
    (a) a sample of water from the
    lungs of Liam Johnson
    (b) a sample of tea from the
    teapot
    (c) a sample of sugar from the
    sugar bowl

    What you need to know!

    You have learnt a number of separating techniques which will be very useful
    to you here! You will have to think carefully about which ones you need to
    use.
    magnetism filtration distillation

    evaporation chromatography

    4
    The Case of Liam Johnson: using separating techniques to solve a crime

    What you need to do to solve the


    crime!

    Decide what tests to carry out on your samples to find out


    1. Did Liam Johnson die from drowning in the sea?
    2. Is there any evidence that the tea is contaminated with another substance?
    3. Is there any evidence that the sugar is contaminated with another substance?

    Record your findings carefully on the chart below

    Sample Method used Results Conclusions

    (a) water from


    the lungs of
    Liam Johnson

    (b) the tea in


    the teapot

    5
    The Case of Liam Johnson: using separating techniques to solve a crime

    (c) the sugar in


    the sugar bowl

    What have you found out?

    1. Did Liam Johnson drown in the sea? Outline the evidence for your answer.
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    2. Is there any evidence for contamination of the tea by another substance. Outline
    the evidence for your answer.
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………..
    3. Is there any evidence that the sugar was contaminated by another substance.
    Outline the evidence to support your answer.
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    4. What do you think happened in this case?
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    5. What further evidence or tests would need to be collected to prove that your ideas
    are correct?

    6
    The Case of Liam Johnson: using separating techniques to solve a crime

    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    …………………………………………………………………………………………
    ………………………………………………………………………………………….

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