You'll also have to perform burn tests on powders by yourself. Ultimately, burn tests will only be provided for plastics and even then only when necessary. Most of the time you can identify plastics without burn results, but powders and fibers are more difficult.ndkuma01 wrote: ↑May 25th, 2020, 2:16 pm So I am going to be going into my freshman year, and I did scioly for all my time in middle school, but I want to change my events and I wanted to try forensics, though I didn't do crime busters in middle school. so I am starting anew and I just wanted to ask how the competition goes like. And how do tryouts for this event work? (Also for burn tests for substances do they give you the results of the burn test or do you do the burn test at the competition?)
-Warm Regards
This is a very fast-paced event, and one that involves a lot of teamwork between you and your partner. It's very important to split the work up in a way that works for you, and to make sure that both team members are working at all times to make sure that every aspect of the test gets covered. Some tests will be massive, and you'll struggle to get them done within the time. This is okay. The main thing is to have a solid foundation in lab practices and to practice practice practice. Having a good note sheet is not enough to carry you through this event - if you don't practice and know what you're doing, you will not do well. The important thing is to have confidence - lack of confidence leads to carelessness like making assumptions about powders, and that can cost you points pretty easily.
However, it's also not as hard as it sounds. Forensics is one of my favorite events because the tests are creative and it covers a lot of content in a wide variety of areas. If you're not willing to put in the time, don't do it. But if you are, then it'll easily become one of your favorites.
