Cobalt-60

Properties and data of the isotope ⁶⁰Co.

Contents

General Data

Radioactive Decay

Parent Nuclides

Isotones und Isobares

See also: List of individual Cobalt isotopes (and general data sources).

General data

Name of the isotope:Cobalt-60; Co-60Symbol:⁶⁰Co or 6027CoMass number A:60 (= number of nucleons)Atomic number Z:27 (= number of protons)Neutrons N:33Nucleon pairing (Z - N):odd - oddNuclear ratio (N/Z ratio):1.2222222222222 (= neutron-proton ratio)Neutron excess (N-Z):6Isotopic mass:59.9338157(5) u (atomic weight of Cobalt-60)Nuclide mass:59.9190044 u (calculated nuclear mass without electrons)Mass excess:-61.65028 MeVMass defect:0.563402392 u (per nucleus)Nuclear binding energy:524.80594773 MeV (per nucleus)
8.7467658 MeV (average binding energy per nucleon)Separation energy:S_N = 7.49192(7) MeV (first neutron)
S_P = 8.2745(4) MeV (first proton)Half-life:5.2713(8) aDecay constant λ:4.169664576716 × 10^-9 s^-1Specific activity α:42559843084194 Bq g^-1
1150.2660293025 Ci g^-1Spin and parity:
(nuclear angular momentum)5+Magnetic dipole moment:μ(μ_N) = + 3.799(8)Quadrupole moment Q:+0.44(5) barn (100 fm²)Nuclear g-factor:g_l = 0.7598Year of discovery:1941

Radioactive Decay

Half-life T_½ = 5.2713(8) a respectively 1.66235717 × 10⁸ seconds s.

Decay mode	Daughter	Probability	Decay energy	γ energy (intensity)
β^-	⁶⁰Ni	100 %	2.82281(21) MeV

Parent Nuclides

Direct parent isotope is: ⁶⁰Fe.

Nuclear Isomers

Nuclear isomers or excited states with the activation energy in keV related to the ground state.

Nuclear Isomer	Excitation Energy	Half-life	Spin
^60mCo	58.59(1) keV	10.467(6) min	2+

Isotones and Isobars

The following table shows the atomic nuclei that are isotonic (same neutron number N = 33) and isobaric (same nucleon number A = 60) with Cobalt-60. Naturally occurring isotopes are marked in green; light green = naturally occurring radionuclides.

Z	Isotone N = 33	Isobar A = 60
16	⁴⁹S
17	⁵⁰Cl
18	⁵¹Ar
19	⁵²K
20	⁵³Ca
21	⁵⁴Sc	⁶⁰Sc
22	⁵⁵Ti	⁶⁰Ti
23	⁵⁶V	⁶⁰V
24	⁵⁷Cr	⁶⁰Cr
25	⁵⁸Mn	⁶⁰Mn
26	⁵⁹Fe	⁶⁰Fe
27	⁶⁰Co	⁶⁰Co
28	⁶¹Ni	⁶⁰Ni
29	⁶²Cu	⁶⁰Cu
30	⁶³Zn	⁶⁰Zn
31	⁶⁴Ga	⁶⁰Ga
32	⁶⁵Ge	⁶⁰Ge
33	⁶⁶As
34	⁶⁷Se
35	⁶⁸Br
36	⁶⁹Kr