Pulse can be described by two factors: rate and rhythm.

• A. Rate and Rhythm
• B. Pulse Pressure and Tone
• C. Speed and Power
• D. Strength and Rhythm

Answer: (B)

Describing the pulse focuses on its timing: how often it occurs and whether those beats fall at regular intervals. The rate tells you beats per minute, while the rhythm tells you if the intervals between beats are even. A normal, regular rhythm with an appropriate rate is typical; changes can indicate conditions like fast or slow heart rates or irregularities such as atrial fibrillation when the rhythm is not regular. Terms like pulse pressure describe the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which relates to how forcefully the heart pumps and arterial compliance, not the timing of the pulse. Tone or strength describes how strong the pulse feels, which is a separate dimension from timing. The pair rate and rhythm best captures the temporal characteristics of the pulse, which is what this question is asking.