Which isotope of cobalt has 32 neutrons?

• A. Co-59
• B. Co-58
• C. Co-60
• D. Co-61

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that the number of neutrons in an isotope is given by the difference between the mass number (A) and the atomic number (Z): \(\text{Number of neutrons} = A - Z\).
2. Identify the atomic number (Z) of cobalt (Co) from the periodic table, which is 27. This means every cobalt atom has 27 protons.
3. For each isotope option, subtract the atomic number (27) from the mass number (the number after Co) to find the number of neutrons. For example, for Co-58, calculate \$58 - 27$.
4. Compare the calculated number of neutrons for each isotope to the target number of 32 neutrons.
5. Select the isotope whose neutron count matches 32. This isotope is the one with 32 neutrons.