Passive stains are what?

• A. Bloodstains which are the result of normal gravitational flow.
• B. Blood that is deposited through contact transfer.
• C. Blood dispersed from a point/area source by a force.
• D. Blood ejected in volume under pressure.

Answer: (A)

Passive stains are formed when blood leaves a source and is carried downward by gravity alone, with no significant external force acting on it. This includes drops that form from a wound, flows that run along a surface, and pools that collect on a horizontal plane. They typically show smooth, rounded edges and tails pointing in the direction of travel, reflecting the fall of individual drops and the surface angle. This contrasts with patterns created by a force or impact (irregular droplets with satellite spatter) and with transfer patterns produced by direct contact between surfaces, as well as with blood ejected under pressure, which shows high-velocity, voluminous spurts. So, passive stains are gravity-driven bloodstains like drips, flows, and pools.