The table shows the total number of electrons in atom a and atom b. atom number of electrons a 11 b 17 which statement is correct? a will give up electrons to form bonds. b will give up electrons to form bonds. both a and b will be chemically unreactive. both a and b will gain electrons to become stable.

A will give up electrons to form bonds.

Step-by-step explanation:

The shell configuration of atoms is 2, 8, 8, 18, …

Thus, an atom has a filled shell when it has two electrons or ten (2 + 8) electrons or 18 (2 + 8 + 8) electrons.  

A has 11 electrons, one more than necessary for a filled shell. It will give up that electron to reach a filled shell.

Option B is wrong. B has 17 electrons, one less than is needed for a complete shell. It will gain electrons to reach a filled shell.

Option C is wrong. Both A and B will be chemically reactive, because each is only one electron short of a complete shell.

Option D is wrong. Both A and B can’t gain electrons. You can’t create electrons out of nothing. If one atom gains electrons, another atom must lose them.