Question

how many electrons will lithium need to gain or lose to be left with a full outer shell of valence electrons?
lithium
lose 1
gain 2
lose 3
gain 4
lose 5
gain 6
lose 7
gain 8

Explanation:

Step1: Identify lithium's electron configuration

Lithium has atomic number 3, with electron - configuration 1s²2s¹. Its outer shell (n = 2) has 1 electron.

Step2: Determine full - outer - shell requirement

The second shell (n = 2) can hold a maximum of 8 electrons, but for the first two periods, a full outer shell can also be achieved by having 2 electrons in the first shell (like helium). Lithium is more likely to lose its 1 outer - shell electron to achieve a stable configuration like helium's (1s²).

Answer:

lose 1