Question about bonds

[Daniel Yu 1E]

Can someone explain metals a bit? About the bonds they form and their lowest energy state. Especially those in the lower rows of the periodic table I don't really understand.

[Tanmay Singhal 1H]

i don't think we have to know the bottom half for the midterm

[Ryan Yee 1J]

In general, metals with less than 4 electrons (the entirety of the s block and sometimes the first column of the p block) tend to form cations because giving up electrons to attain an octet is easier than gaining electrons. They generally form salts with nonmetals which consist of an ionic bond generally made from a metal cation and nonmetal anion.

Also I remember that Dr. Lavelle mentioned that we would tend to focus on the upper half of the periodic table, so I don't think you need to worry about the f block and lower metals.