Which term best fits: 'positive or negative deflection from the baseline'?

• A. Complex
• B. Wave
• C. Interval
• D. Segment

Answer: (B)

Describing a fluctuating signal and its amplitude relative to a baseline is what this item is getting at. A wave is the basic form of such a signal, showing a positive deflection above the baseline or a negative deflection below it. The positive or negative deflection corresponds to the wave’s amplitude—the height of the swing from the reference level. The other terms don’t fit the definition: a complex is a grouping of multiple waves that occur together, not the single deflection itself; an interval is a span of time between two points; a segment is a portion of the waveform between two points, not the deflection from baseline. So the term that best fits the phrase is wave.