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)

Responses

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.
The model should show 27 protons and 32 neutrons.

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

The model should show 59 protons and 27 neutrons.

1 answer

The correct statement about the model of a cobalt atom is:

The model should show 27 protons and 32 neutrons.

Here's the reasoning:

  • The atomic number of cobalt is 27, which means it has 27 protons.
  • The mass number of cobalt is 59, which is the sum of protons and neutrons. To find the number of neutrons, you subtract the number of protons from the mass number:

\[ \text{Neutrons} = \text{Mass number} - \text{Protons} = 59 - 27 = 32 \]

So, cobalt has 27 protons and 32 neutrons.