Cobalt has a mass number of 59 and an atomic number of 27. A student wants to create a model of a cobalt atom. Which statement about the model is correct?(1 point)

Question

Responses

The model should show 59 protons and 27 neutrons.
The model should show 59 protons and 27 neutrons.

The model should show 27 protons and 27 neutrons.
The model should show 27 protons and 27 neutrons.

The model should show 32 protons and 59 neutrons.
The model should show 32 protons and 59 neutrons.

The model should show 27 protons and 32 neutrons.

Answer 1

The model should show 27 protons and 32 neutrons.

The atomic number of an element represents the number of protons in its nucleus. Cobalt has an atomic number of 27, which means a cobalt atom has 27 protons.

The mass number is the total count of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus. Since cobalt has a mass number of 59, and we know there are 27 protons, we can calculate the number of neutrons by subtracting the number of protons from the mass number:

Number of neutrons = Mass number - Atomic number
Number of neutrons = 59 - 27
Number of neutrons = 32

So, the correct model of a cobalt atom with a mass number of 59 should include 27 protons and 32 neutrons.