* Oxygen needs two electrons: Oxygen has six valence electrons and wants to gain two more to achieve a stable octet (eight electrons in its outer shell).
* Silver loses one electron: Silver has one valence electron and will lose it to become a positively charged ion (Ag+).
* Ratio for a neutral compound: To balance the charges, you need two silver atoms (each losing one electron) to provide the two electrons that oxygen needs.
Therefore, you need two silver atoms (Ag) for every one oxygen atom (O) to form a stable ionic compound, which is silver oxide (Ag₂O).
