Forensic Chemistry: Petroleum Products and Fire Accelerants Basics

This mock covers petroleum products and fire accelerants as tested in UGC-NET Forensic Science Paper II Unit VI. Questions span the physical and chemical properties of gasoline, kerosene, diesel, mineral turpentine, naphtha, paraffin wax, and butane; the ASTM E1618-19 and ASTM E1387-01 classification system for ignitable liquids; fire debris collection and extraction methods including activated charcoal strip and SPME; and the Indian legal framework governing arson and fire-related homicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023.

Designed for MSc and BSc forensic science students preparing for UGC-NET Paper II, NFSU MSc entrance examinations, and FACT Level 1. Every question is calibrated to the easy band, meaning distractors represent clearly different concepts rather than near-twin parameters, and target accuracy is 70 to 80 percent on a first attempt.

Topics covered:

• Gasoline: boiling range, flash point, octane rating, GC-MS pattern
• Kerosene and diesel: boiling ranges, flash points, cetane number, debris persistence
• Mineral turpentine, naphtha, paraffin wax, and butane: distinguishing properties
• ASTM E1618-19 classes: light, medium, heavy distillates, isoparaffinic, aromatic, naphthenic-paraffinic, normal alkane, oxygenated
• Fire debris collection: unlined metal cans, activated charcoal strip (ASTM E1412), SPME
• Indian context: CFSL Hyderabad, kerosene in dowry-death fires, BNS 2023 Sections 80, 100, 101, and 327

Allow 30 minutes.