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Electron transfer during chemical reactions

Answer Text:
Electron transfer during chemical reactions:
- Atoms react either by electron gain or electron loss.
- Generally metals react by electron gain while non-metals react by electron loss.
Illustration:
- Consider the reaction between sodium and chlorine.
- Sodium attains stability // reacts by losing the single electron from its outermost energy level.
- Chlorine attains stability // reacts by gaining a single electron into its outermost energy level.
- Thus during the reaction between the two elements the single electron lost by the sodium atom to
form the sodium ion is the same one gained by the chlorine atom to form the chloride ion.