Final answer:
Atom A, with 11 electrons, will likely lose one electron to form a cation, while Atom B, with 17 electrons, aims to gain one electron to form an anion, achieving stable electron configurations.
Step-by-step explanation:
If atom A has 11 electrons and atom B has 17 electrons, then atom A will give up electrons to form bonds, and atom B will gain electrons to become stable. This is because atom A is likely in group 1 of the periodic table, which means it tends to lose one electron to achieve a stable electron configuration.
Atom B, with 17 electrons, is likely in group 17, which indicates it will gain one electron to achieve a full valence shell. Elements in group 1 form cations after losing an electron, and elements in group 17 form anions by gaining an electron.