Fingerprint Science Project

Ever wanted to view your fingerprints in detail? Or compare your fingerprints to someone else's? This science project will allow you to view and compare fingerprints and requires only a few supplies. You will need the following:

• A student microscope
• Blank glass slides
• Clear packing tape

Take a square piece of packing tape and press it firmly onto your thumb or index finger. Peel the tape off and without touching the sticky side of the tape, press the fingerprint portion onto a blank glass slide. Place the printed portion of the slide directly above the light on the microscope. Using the 4x objective (40x magnification) focus the microscope. If you are using a digital microscope, capture an image and save it. Then take another print and compare the two. How do they differ in shape and pattern? Collect five fingerprints from different people and label the slides. Do you think it would be hard to perform investigative work using only fingerprints as identifiers?