Final answer:
X-rays can penetrate our bodies while visible light cannot because X-rays have higher energy due to their shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies compared to visible light.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reason why X-rays penetrate our bodies while visible light does not is due to the difference in their physical properties, specifically their energies and wavelengths. X-rays have higher energy because they have shorter wavelengths (1 × 10^-8 - 5 × 10^-12 m) and higher frequencies (3 × 10^16 - 6 × 10^19 Hz) than visible light, which has wavelengths in the range of 7.5 × 10^-7 - 4.0 × 10^-7 m and frequencies of 4.0 × 10^14 - 7.5 × 10^14 Hz. This higher energy allows X-rays to penetrate matter more effectively. In medical applications, for example, X-rays can pass through soft tissues in the body but are absorbed by denser materials like bones, allowing for imaging of internal structures without invasive procedures. Hence, the correct answer to why X-rays can penetrate our body and visible light cannot is a) X-rays have higher energy.