Which neutral element from the list below would most likely acquire two electrons to form an anion with a charge of (2 - )?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An anion with a charge of (2 - ) means that the element needs to gain two electrons. Looking at the options, only Selenium (Se) has six valence electrons, so it only needs two more to complete its octet and become a stable ion with a charge of (2 - ). The other options have more than six valence electrons, which means they would need to lose electrons to become stable, making it less likely for them to form an anion with a charge of (2 - ).

Which Neutral Element from the List Below Would Most Likely