Which of the following statements are true about whether atoms tend to gain or lose electrons?

a. atoms with eight valence electrons easily lose electrons.
b. atoms with five, six, or seven valence electrons will gain electrons.
c. atoms with one, two, or three valence electrons will lose electrons.
d. atoms with four valence electrons will always lose electrons.

A. Atoms with eight valence electrons easily lose electrons.

Explanation:

When the atom is in the ground state, it is electrically neutral, since the amount of protons (positive charges) is exactly equal to the amount of electrons (negative charges). Thus, when it gains an electron, the atom gets an extra negative charge, so it is represented as follows: X-1, where "X" is the symbol of the chemical element. If two electrons were added, it gets a charge -2 and so on.

When the atom gains or loses electrons - this occurs in its valence shell, that is, in the outermost shell - its electron configuration changes.