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?

Question

(1 point)
O The model should show 27 protons and 27 neutrons.
The model should show 59 protons and 27 neutrons.
O The model should show 21
protons and 32 neutrons.
The model should show 32
protons and 59 neutrons.

Answer 1

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

The model should show 27 protons and 32 neutrons.

Here's the reasoning:

• Cobalt has an atomic number of 27, which means it has 27 protons.

• To find the number of neutrons, you subtract the atomic number from the mass number. For cobalt with a mass number of 59:

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

So, the cobalt atom model should show 27 protons and 32 neutrons.