When a lead deflects the current at right angles to its direction, the trace will be what?

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Prepare for the Basic Arrhythmias and 12 Lead EKG Exam. Study with detailed explanations, flashcards, and multiple choice questions to understand arrhythmias better. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

When a lead deflects the current at right angles to its direction, the trace will be what?

Explanation:
When the heart’s depolarization current runs perpendicular to a lead’s axis, that lead captures no net voltage along its direction. The cardiac electrical vector projects to zero on that lead, so the trace sits on the baseline—that is, an isoelectric line. This happens because the lead’s deflection depends on the cosine of the angle between the depolarization vector and the lead axis; at 90 degrees, cos(90°) = 0, so there’s no deflection. If the vector were aligned with the lead, you’d see an upright deflection; if opposite, an inverted one.

When the heart’s depolarization current runs perpendicular to a lead’s axis, that lead captures no net voltage along its direction. The cardiac electrical vector projects to zero on that lead, so the trace sits on the baseline—that is, an isoelectric line. This happens because the lead’s deflection depends on the cosine of the angle between the depolarization vector and the lead axis; at 90 degrees, cos(90°) = 0, so there’s no deflection. If the vector were aligned with the lead, you’d see an upright deflection; if opposite, an inverted one.

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