Do metals donate or accept electrons? what do they become after they donate/accept electrons?

Metal usually donates electrons. The concept behind this phenomenon is stability. The elements with the most stable electronic configuration are the noble gases in Group 5A. As a result, the other elements donate or accept electrons so that they would be like the noble gases. Since metals are past their nearest noble gas element, they have to shed their electrons. When they do, they become cations which are positively charged ions.