Final answer:
All metals typically form cations when bonding in chemical compounds, with alkali and alkali earth metals being common examples that readily lose their outer electrons to achieve a more stable electronic configuration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The elements that are cations when bonding in chemical compounds are typically metals. Cations are positively charged ions that are formed when an atom loses electrons. From the periodic table, we can see that elements in the left-most column, known as the alkali metals (Li, Na, K), contain a single electron in their outermost subshell which they tend to lose easily, forming a cation with a single positive charge.
The alkali earth metals, found in the second column of the periodic table, also form cations but with a double positive charge due to the loss of two electrons from their outer shell. While it is true that the alkali and alkali earth metals readily form cations, other metals throughout the periodic table can also form cations, not just Group 1 and Group 2 elements. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is that all metals (D) typically form cations when bonding in chemical compounds.