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Chapter 4: Problem 169

Metals tend to \(\quad\) valence electrons, whereas nonmetals tend to valence electrons.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Metals tend to \(lose\) valence electrons, whereas nonmetals tend to \(gain\) valence electrons.

Step by step solution

01

Behavior of metals with valence electrons

Metals tend to lose their valence electrons in chemical reactions. This is because they have a few valence electrons (usually 1 to 3) and losing them allows the metal atom to achieve a stable, full outer electron shell, which usually means having eight electrons in the outer shell (except for helium, which has 2). By losing valence electrons, metals form positive ions, also known as cations.
02

Behavior of nonmetals with valence electrons

Nonmetals, on the other hand, tend to gain valence electrons in chemical reactions. They usually have five to seven valence electrons, and by gaining more, they can also achieve a stable, full outer electron shell. When nonmetals gain valence electrons, they form negative ions, also called anions. So, the complete sentence is: Metals tend to \(lose\) valence electrons, whereas nonmetals tend to \(gain\) valence electrons.

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