Final answer:
Atrial repolarization occurs during the QRS complex on an ECG but is masked by the larger electrical activity of ventricular depolarization. As a result, it is not visible on the ECG.
Step-by-step explanation:
The period of atrial repolarization occurs during the QRS complex on an electrocardiogram (ECG). The ECG measures the electrical activity of the heart and is a critical tool in understanding the cardiac cycle. During the cardiac cycle, the P wave represents atrial depolarization, which is followed by atrial contraction. Atrial systole extends until the QRS complex, at which point the atria relax and repolarize. However, this repolarization is not visible on the ECG because it is masked by the much larger electrical activity associated with ventricular depolarization represented by the QRS complex. The ventricles begin to contract at the peak of the QRS complex, and after the ventricles have completed contracting, the T wave represents ventricular repolarization and marks the beginning of ventricular relaxation.