Final answer:
Group 1 elements seek to lose one electron to achieve stability, while Group 14 requires four additional electrons, and Group 17 needs one more electron to be stable. Group 1 becomes positively charged ions, and Groups 14 and 17 may form ions or share electrons to achieve full valence shells.
Step-by-step explanation:
To become 'happier' or more stable, elements in Group 1 of the periodic table, which include the alkali metals and hydrogen, need to lose one valence electron. This is because they all have one electron in their outermost shell and losing this electron achieves a full valence shell, emulating the electron configuration of noble gases, which are inert due to their stable configuration.
Conversely, elements in Group 14 need to gain four electrons to achieve stability while elements in Group 17, which are known as halogens, need to gain one electron to reach a stable configuration. These groups aim to fill their valence shells to attain stability: for Group 1, this means forming a positively charged ion after losing an electron, whereas for Groups 14 and 17 this often means either gaining the necessary electrons or sharing electrons through covalent bonding to complete their valence shells.