Abstract
In this forensic chemistry case study, the torso of a young boy is found floating in London's River Thames. To determine the boy's origin, Scotland Yard enlists the aid of a professor who researches strontium distribution worldwide. The strontium concentration in the soils of a region is proportional to the concentration of strontium in the bones of the inhabitants of that region. The strontium concentration in the boy's bones indicates that he is from Nigeria. Analysis of bone samples collected throughout Nigeria allows the police to narrow the victim's origin to a small area of that country. Clever detective work leads to the apprehension of the likely perpetrator of the crime. In the laboratory, students perform strontium determinations, use these data to locate the victim's origin, and act as detectives to formulate a plan to apprehend his murderer(s). The case is also useable in dry-lab form to teach data handling and statistics in general chemistry and nonscience major chemistry courses.
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