Question

Metals tend to — electrons and nonmetals tend to —
Electrons

Answer 1

Metals typically lose electrons to form cations due to their low electronegativity, whereas nonmetals gain electrons to form anions responding to their high electronegativity.

Step-by-step explanation:

Metals generally have a tendency to lose electrons and become positively charged ions known as cations. This is because metals typically have a low electronegativity and a few valence electrons. Losing these electrons helps metals achieve a more stable electronic arrangement, which is often a filled outer shell similar to that of the nearest noble gas. Nonmetals, on the other hand, usually have a higher number of valence electrons and a higher electronegativity, which leads to them gaining electrons to form negatively charged ions known as anions. This gaining of electrons allows nonmetals to also obtain a stable outer electron arrangement. The trend in electronegativity is such that it increases across a period from left to right, and this helps to explain why nonmetals on the right side of the periodic table tend to gain electrons, whereas metals on the left side tend to lose them.

Answer 2

Non-metals tend to gain electrons to attain Noble Gas configurations. The have relatively high Electron affinities and high Ionization energies. Metals tend to lose electrons and non-metals tend to gain electrons, so in reactions involving these two groups, there is electron transfer from the metal to the non-metal.