An A-mode display looks like a ______.

An A-mode display looks like a ______.

• A. Big city skyline
• B. Mountains and valleys
• C. Flat line
• D. Bar graph

Answer: (A)

In A-mode ultrasound, echoes from structures are shown as vertical spikes arranged along a depth axis. The horizontal direction corresponds to depth (time of flight), and the height of each spike reflects the strength of the echo. As you move through the scan, you see a sequence of tall and short spikes, which forms a pattern that looks like a city skyline—built from towers of different heights along a street. A flat line would mean no echoes, mountains and valleys describe a continuous gray-scale image typical of other modes, and while the spikes resemble bars, the most natural image is a skyline created by those distinct vertical spikes.

In A-mode ultrasound, echoes from structures are shown as vertical spikes arranged along a depth axis. The horizontal direction corresponds to depth (time of flight), and the height of each spike reflects the strength of the echo. As you move through the scan, you see a sequence of tall and short spikes, which forms a pattern that looks like a city skyline—built from towers of different heights along a street. A flat line would mean no echoes, mountains and valleys describe a continuous gray-scale image typical of other modes, and while the spikes resemble bars, the most natural image is a skyline created by those distinct vertical spikes.