Myocardial contraction is triggered whenever a wave of electrical impulses passes through the heart. The pattern of electrical excitation spreads coordinately over the structure of the heart. This results in a measurable change in potential across the surface of the body of a subject. The recording of the resultant signal from specific body points is known as an electrocardiogram (ECG). Students can directly record an ECG signal from the headset input of a smartphone with an electric lead and a suitable sound app. This allows interdisciplinary teaching by applying physics concepts to physiology.
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2019
American Association of Physics Teachers
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