Part VIII: Drug Analysis

1. Cocaine:
1. Chemical Name: benzoylmethylecgonine
2. Chemical Formula: C17H21NO4
3. Average pH: 5
4. Tests: blood test, hair sample test, saliva test, urine test

2. LSD:
1. Chemical Name: Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
2. Chemical Formula: C2OH25N30
3. Average pH: 3
4. Tests: blood test, urine test, stomach content

Lab
Testing for drugs can play a key role in solving a crime, in that it can determine the cause of a victim's death. Because of this fact, this was a very important area of forensics for us to learn about, especially since drug use is increasing and becoming more common in our day-to-day lives. We used cocaine and LSD reagents, along with finding the pH of six substances set up at six stations to determine if LSD or cocaine was a component of these substances.

Station 1: 
The substance at this station contained cocaine, as shown by it turning blue with the cocaine indicator. It also had a pH of 5.5, meaning the pH strip turned light orange.

Station 2: 
This also had a positive cocaine test, and in turn, a negative LSD test, which means it did not turn yellow. Its pH was 9 and the strip blue.

Station 3: This is the first to have had a positive LSD test; it also had a pH of 2 (red).

Station 4: 
This one was found to contain cocaine, along with having a pH of 8.5 and a green-blue pH strip.

Station 5:
Once again, there was a positive cocaine test and a negative LSD one; the pH was 5 (orange pH strip).

Station 6: 
This time, there was a positive LSD test and the pH was 3.5, which also means the pH strip turned orange-red.