Sodium (Na)
* Electron configuration: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹
* Valence electrons: 1 (in the 3s orbital)
* To achieve a stable octet: Sodium needs to lose one electron to have the same electron configuration as the noble gas Neon (1s² 2s² 2p⁶).
* Result: When sodium loses one electron, it forms a positively charged ion, Na⁺, with a stable electron configuration.
Magnesium (Mg)
* Electron configuration: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s²
* Valence electrons: 2 (in the 3s orbital)
* To achieve a stable octet: Magnesium needs to lose two electrons to have the same electron configuration as the noble gas Neon (1s² 2s² 2p⁶).
* Result: When magnesium loses two electrons, it forms a positively charged ion, Mg²⁺, with a stable electron configuration.
In summary: Both sodium and magnesium readily lose electrons to achieve the stable electron configuration of a noble gas. This is because their valence electrons are relatively loosely bound and losing them results in a more stable, lower-energy state.
