* Valence Electrons: Lithium (Li) has one valence electron in its outermost shell.
* Ion Formation: Lithium readily loses its single valence electron to achieve a stable, filled electron shell like helium. This results in the formation of a positively charged ion called a lithium cation (Li+).
Key Points
* Metals like lithium tend to *lose* electrons to become cations.
* Nonmetals tend to *gain* electrons to become anions.
* The charge on an ion reflects the number of electrons lost or gained.
