Crime scene chemistry for the armchair sleuth / Cathy Cobb, Monty L. Fetterolf, Jack Goldsmith.

Introduction : the chemistry of crime
The case of the innovative introduction
Public safety, and personal, too
Crime lab and crime solutions
pt. I. Bare-bones chemistry
Demonstration 1. A significant difference
1. Confidence in chemistry and confidence in clues : the significance of digits
The case of the presumptive perp
Demonstration 2. Cashing it in
2. Improbable profiling : finding massive clues
The case of the significant other
Demonstration 3. The color of crime
3. My dear Watson : elements and the evidence they contain
The case of the mystifying metal
Demonstration 4. Chromatography and crime
4. Isolating the witness : screening tests tell
The case of the dueling drugs
Demonstration 5. A case of friction
5. Fatal attractions : intermolecular forces make the charges stick
The case of the sticky situation
Demonstration 6. The current case
6. Volatile situation : mass, gas, and chemical fingerprints
The case of the validating vacuum
Demonstration 7. Place of confinement
7. Too much of a good thing : establishing concentration levels
A case of strong medicine
Demonstration 8. Solid evidence
8. Crystal-clear crime : microcrystalline identification
The case of the sweet surrender


pt. II. Felonious interactions
Demonstration 9. Physical evidence
9. A change for the worse : when it gets physical
The case of the physical flaw
Demonstration 10. Precipitating events
10. Chemistry under the influence : compounding the crime
A case of nerves
Demonstration 11. Seeing red, wearing blue
11. Acrimonious adversity : acid-base chemistry
The case of the cracked case
Demonstration 12. Reduced to essentials
12. Burning passion : runaway redox reactions
The case of the reducing rat
Demonstration 13. Incriminating chemistry
13. The smoking gun : explosive chemical reactions
The case of the material witness
Demonstration 14. Three strikes and a foul
14. In hot water : thermochemistry
A very cold case
Demonstration 15. Sequence of events
15. Doing time : the importance of chemical reaction rates
A matter of timing
Demonstration 16. Extracting the truth
16. The clue is in the GUE : physical equilibrium
The case of the perfect grime
Demonstration 17. Evidence indicating otherwise
17. Equal, just as for all : chemical equilibrium
The case of a well-handled crime


pt. III. Interrogation lights
Demonstration 18. Behind prism bars
18. Enough rope : infrared spectroscopy for fiber and more
A case of canine karma
Demonstration 19. Examining the evidence
19. Under the microscope : microscopy
The case of courting trouble
Demonstration 20. Point of law
20. Sexy science : laser ablation
The case of the subtle smear
Demonstration 21. Illuminating details
21. The glaring truth : chemiluminescence and fluorescence
The case of the hirsute homeless


pt. IV. Corpus delicti
Demonstration 22. Pointing the finger
22. The prince of forensics : fingerprint technology
The case of the elusive acetone
Demonstration 23. A bloody shame
23. Sticky cases : bodily fluid identification
The case of the contraband confection
Demonstration 24. Sorting out the facts
24. Unlocking the cell : death, decay, and DNA
The case of the flowery felon
Demonstration 25. The big jolt
25. Sniffing out the truth : the future of forensic chemistry
The case of the clean getaway
Postmortem
Appendix. The periodic table of the elements.