Which of the following is the correct nuclear symbol for a radioactive isotope of copper with a mass number of 60?

• A. ^{60}_{29}Cu
• B. ^{60}_{28}Cu
• C. ^{29}_{60}Cu
• D. ^{60}_{29}Co

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the nuclear symbol of an isotope is written as \(^{A}_{Z}X\), where \(A\) is the mass number (total number of protons and neutrons), \(Z\) is the atomic number (number of protons), and \(X\) is the chemical symbol of the element.
2. Identify the element copper (Cu) on the periodic table to find its atomic number \(Z\). Copper has an atomic number of 29, meaning it has 29 protons.
3. Use the given mass number \(A = 60\) for the isotope, which represents the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.
4. Construct the nuclear symbol by placing the mass number 60 as a superscript and the atomic number 29 as a subscript to the left of the chemical symbol Cu, resulting in \(^{60}_{29}Cu\).
5. Verify that the other options are incorrect because either the atomic number does not match copper (e.g., 28 corresponds to nickel, 29 and 60 reversed is not standard notation, or the element symbol is incorrect like Co for cobalt).