Question

Cobalt has two isotopes, Cobalt-58 and Cobalt-59. Using your periodic chart, determine which isotope is most abundant.

Option 1: Cobalt-58
Option 2: Cobalt-59
Option 3: Cobalt-57
Option 4: Cobalt-60

Answer 1

Cobalt-59 is the most abundant isotope of Cobalt based on its closeness to the atomic mass of Cobalt found on the periodic table, which is about 58.93 amu.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which isotope of Cobalt is most abundant, we need to compare the isotopes to the atomic mass of Cobalt as found on the periodic table. The atomic mass is a weighted average that reflects the abundance of each isotope in nature.

For Cobalt, which has an atomic number of 27, the atomic mass is about 58.93 amu (atomic mass units). This number is closest to the mass number of Cobalt-59, indicating that Cobalt-59 is the most abundant isotope. Cobalt-58, with a mass number of 58, is less than the atomic mass of Cobalt. Cobalt-60 is synthetic and produced through neutron activation of Cobalt-59 and is not naturally occurring in significant amounts. Therefore, Option 2: Cobalt-59 is the correct answer.

The other listed options, Cobalt-57 and Cobalt-60, are not naturally abundant isotopes of Cobalt, with Cobalt-57 not being mentioned as a naturally occurring isotope and Cobalt-60 being an artificially produced, radioactive isotope used in various applications.