Answer: Penetrate soft tissue but are absorbed by denser materials like bone.
- A Penetrate soft tissue but are absorbed by denser materials like bone
- B Carry no ionizing energy and pose no risk to living tissue as generally observed
- C Are largely blocked by skin and cannot enter the body in typical laboratory settings
- D Reflect specularly off bone surfaces like light off a mirror under usual circumstances
Correct answer: A. Penetrate soft tissue but are absorbed by denser materials like bone
Explanation: X-rays pass easily through soft tissue (mostly water and carbon) but are absorbed by denser materials like bone and metal. This differential absorption creates the image on X-ray film.
In an electromagnetic wave, the oscillating electric field (E) and magnetic field (B) are perpendicular to each other and to the direction the wave travels - a purely transverse wave that needs no medium, unlike sound.
Concept context
Maxwell's equations, EM spectrum, properties, and applications of each band.