Cobalt Atoms and Isotopes


Coablt Atom


Cobalt

Protons: 27


Neutrons: 32


Electrons: 27


     Elements on the periodic table all have electrons, neutrons, and protons in atoms of the element. Every element has a different number of protons in its atoms; therefore, all elements have a different number of electrons in an elements atoms to. However, in all atoms of one element the number of protons is the same, but the number of neutrons can be different. So, every atom with 27 protons is cobalt no matter how many neutrons the atom has.

Isotopes of an element have different amounts of neutrons in the nucleus. Isotopes are identified by how many neutrons they have and each element has common isotopes. One of cobalt's isotopes is 59Co. This isotope is cobalts only stable isotope. More common isotopes of cobalt are 57Co, 58Co, 60Co, and 56Co. The number part in the names of these isotopes represents the mass number of the isotope.

     Electrons are negatively charged particles found in an atom's energy levels. Energy levels surround the nucleus of an atom. The first energy level is the closest to the nucleus, then the second is slightly farther from the nucleus, as seen above. The first level holds two electrons, the second and third levels hold eight electrons each, and the fourth holds eighteen electrons. The last energy level of an atom is not usually full, or not holding the maximun amount of electrons it can.