Final answer:
Strontium (Sr) can bond with oxygen (O), hydrogen (H), or chlorine (Cl) to become stable, most commonly forming ionic compounds like SrO or SrCl2, where it donates electrons to achieve a stable electronic configuration.
Step-by-step explanation:
Strontium (Sr) can bond with several other elements to achieve a stable electronic configuration. The most common bonding partners for strontium in ionic compounds are nonmetals like oxygen (O), hydrogen (H), and chlorine (Cl). Among these, oxygen and chlorine would allow strontium to achieve stability by the complete transfer of its valence electrons to form SrO and SrCl2 respectively.
Option 1: Oxygen (O) - Strontium would likely form a stable ionic compound, strontium oxide (SrO), by transferring its two valence electrons to two oxygen atoms, each oxygen thus receiving one electron.
Option 2: Hydrogen (H) - Strontium hydride (SrH2) could form by transferring each of its two valence electrons to two separate hydrogen atoms.
Option 3: Chlorine (Cl) - Strontium chloride (SrCl2) is another stable ionic compound formed when strontium donates its two valence electrons to two chlorine atoms, resulting in a stable octet for each chlorine.
Option 4: Iron (Fe) - It is less common for strontium to bond with metals like iron to achieve stability due to both being typically cationic in nature.
The most favorable option for strontium to bond with to achieve stability would be a nonmetal such as chlorine or oxygen, rather than hydrogen or another metal like iron.