[Bloodstain pattern analysis on examples from practice: Are calculations with application parabolic trajectory usable?]
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Trajectory Data Analyses for Pedestrian Space-time Activity Study
Published on: February 25, 2013
Abstract:
The bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is useful in the forensic medicine. In Czechoslovakian criminology is this method not commonly used. The objective of this work is to calculate the impact length, height and distance splashing of blood drops. The results are compared with the real values for specific cases. It is also compared to calculate the angle of incidence of blood drops, using sinα with a form using tgα. For this purposes we used two different character cases from practice with well-preserved condition and readable blood stains. Selected blood stains were documented in order to calculate the angle of incidence of blood drops and to calculateorigin splashes. For this drop of blood, the distance of impact of the drops of blood (x), the height of the sprayed blood drops (y) and the length of the flight path the drop of blood (l). The obtained data was retrospectively analysed for the two models. The first straight line is represented by the triangle (M1) and the other is the parabolic model (M2). The formulae were derived using the Euler substitution. The results show that the angle of incidence of the drop of blood can be calculated as sinα and the tgα. When applying, the triangle is appropriate to consider the application and sinα parabolic requires the calculation of the angle of incidence drops of blood tgα. Parabola is useful for the BPA. In Czechoslovakian should be providing workplace training seminars BPA primarily intended for forensic investigators.We recommend the use of this method during investigations, verification of acts in forensic practice.
Related Concept Videos
Streamlines, Streaklines, and Pathlines
Projectile Motion: Equations
Any projectile motion problem can be solved by using the following strategy:
Impact: Problem Solving
By designating the launch point as the origin and utilizing kinematic equations, the vertical component of the projectile's velocity at the point of impact is...
Projectile Motion
When an object falls under gravity and has no...
Orthogonal Trajectories
Quadratic Models

