Case Notes - Blood Spatter Calculations.docx - PENN STATE ... - Free Printable

1. The image displays a blood spatter pattern analysis diagram with multiple red droplets radiating outward from a central point.
2. Black lines are drawn from the center through each droplet, indicating the direction of travel for each bloodstain.
3. The task is to determine the angle of impact for each bloodstain using trigonometry based on the length and width of the elliptical stains.
4. The formula used is: sin(θ) = width / length, where θ is the angle of impact.
5. For each stain, measure the width (shortest axis) and length (longest axis), then calculate θ = arcsin(width / length).
6. The calculated angles help reconstruct the trajectory and origin of the blood spatter, which is critical in forensic investigations.
7. This method assumes the blood droplets are elliptical due to impact, and the angle reflects how steeply the blood struck the surface.