Final answer:
Blood pressure is higher during systole because this is when the heart contracts, increasing the hydrostatic pressure against arterial walls, leading to a higher systolic blood pressure measurement.
Step-by-step explanation:
Blood pressure is higher during systole than during diastole because systole is the phase of the cardiac cycle when the heart contracts and pumps blood out of the chambers and into the arteries. During this contraction, there is an increase in hydrostatic pressure against the arterial walls, resulting in the higher systolic blood pressure measurement. In contrast, diastole is the phase when the heart muscles relax, the chambers of the heart fill with blood, and there is less pressure exerted against the arterial walls. This leads to the lower diastolic blood pressure measurement. Thus, the correct answer would be B) the contraction of the heart during systole increases the blood pressure against arterial walls.