Question

How do valence electrons relate to cation formation?

Answer 1

"A pair of oxygen atoms can form an O2 molecule in which each atom has a total of eight valence electrons by sharing two pairs of electrons. The term covalent bond is used to describe the bonds in compounds that result from the sharing of one or more pairs of electrons."

Answer 2

The valence electrons are the ones that are lost to form the cations

Step-by-step explanation:

The cations have to do with the valence electrons since in most cases the valence electrons are those that are outside the full-layer configuration.

The full layer configuration corresponds to the configuration of the noble gases which is the most stable.

Atoms of different elements tend to gain (anions) or lose electrons (cations) to reach this more stable configuration.

Therefore, to reach this configuration, the electrons that are "lost" or "won" are the so-called valence electrons.