Final answer:
In reactions to form ionic compounds, metals generally lose electrons becoming cations. By losing electrons to non-metals, which gain them and become anions, metals achieve a complete valence shell. This leads to the formation of ionic compounds such as sodium fluoride. Option b is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
In reactions to form ionic compounds, metals generally lose electrons. This results in the formation of positively charged ions, or cations. The metals, particularly those in groups 1 and 2 of the periodic table, tend to lose the number of electrons that would leave them with a complete valence shell.
When metals and non-metals chemically react to form ionic compounds, the metals lose electrons and the non-metals gain them, achieving an octet in the process. Non-metals form anions in these reactions. The electrostatic attraction between the oppositely charged ions, cations and anions, holds them together, creating crystalline substances like sodium chloride, where positively charged sodium ions bind to negatively charged chloride ions.
An example of this is when sodium (Na) loses one electron to become Na+, and fluorine (F) gains one electron to become F-, resulting in the formation of the ionic compound sodium fluoride (NaF).