Question

Early one Saturday morning, Anand walks to his favorite corner bakery. When he enters, he sees Melanie, the owner, lying unconscious behind the counter surrounded by white powder with footprints in it. There is a large hole through the back wall as if a bomb went off. When police show up and start collecting evidence, they take a sample of the white powder to see if it’s flour, powdered sugar, or an explosive. What would they do to analyze the footprints?

Answer 1

The police would analyze the footprints using techniques like powder X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The police would analyze the footprints left in the white powder by using various techniques. One method they might use is called powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). PXRD can be used to identify the crystalline structure of a substance, which can help determine if the powder is flour, powdered sugar, or an explosive. Another technique that could be used is Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR spectroscopy can provide information about the functional groups present in a substance, which can further aid in identifying the powder.