Detectives on the Trail
23
EXPERIMENT 8
EXPLANATION
Each fiber reveals its own unique details
under the microscope. Hairs from fabric
fibers are easy to tell apart. With a little
practice, you will be able to see the
difference between cotton fibers and
silk, or between the hairs of various
living things. The prepared slide will
give you some idea how your crime
scene samples will look under the
microscope.
H
or
se
h
air
C
at h
ai
r
D
og
h
ai
r
R
ab
bi
t ha
ir
Human hairs
Refrigerator
detectives: Who was
the perpetrator?
YOU WILL NEED
› Slides, cover slips, pipette, sample container,
tweezers, “natural fibers” prepared slide
›
Water, various hair and fiber samples (from
around the house), small plastic bags (reseal-
able), 1 permanent marker (for identifying the
bags and slides)
HERE‘S HOW
1. Prepare several slides by placing a drop of
water onto the center of each one with the
pipette.
2. Set the hairs or fibers in the water droplets,
place a cover slip on top of each, and study
the samples using the smallest objective lens.
Then try the lens with medium magnification,
followed by the one with the greatest
magnification, which will let you see the fiber
structures most clearly.
