The Alkali Metals Are Found in Nature as Ionic Compounds

The alkali metals are found in nature as ionic compounds because

A) it takes very little energy to remove an s electron.
B) the electron affinity for these alkali metals is negative.
C) lattice energy is sufficient to overcome the energy required to form the cation.
D) the cations have a noble gas electron configuration.
E) second ionization energies are very large and positive.