Question

For each of the following groups, indicate whether electrons are more likely to be lost or gained in compound formation and give the number of such electrons typically involved.

a) Group 1: Electrons are more likely to be lost, typically 1 electron.
b) Group 2: Electrons are more likely to be lost, typically 2 electrons.
c) Group 13: Electrons are more likely to be lost, typically 3 electrons.
d) Group 16: Electrons are more likely to be gained, typically 2 electrons.

Answer 1

Group 1 elements typically lose 1 electron, group 2 loses 2 electrons, group 13 loses 3 electrons, and group 16 gains 2 electrons during compound formation to achieve a stable electron configuration.

Step-by-step explanation:

The periodic table can help us understand how elements are likely to react during compound formation, specifically in terms of gaining or losing electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. For group 1 elements, these elements have one valence electron and thus will typically lose one electron in order to achieve the electron configuration of the noble gas preceding them. For group 2 elements, which have two valence electrons, they will lose two electrons for the same reason.

Group 13 elements have three valence electrons, and to stabilize, they are more likely to lose all three electrons. In contrast, elements in group 16, which have six valence electrons, will typically gain two electrons to achieve a full valence shell, thus reaching the stable configuration of eight electrons as per the octet rule. Therefore, the elements from group 1 typically lose 1 electron, group 2 loses 2 electrons, group 13 loses 3 electrons, and group 16 gains 2 electrons during compound formation.