The Alkali Metals- (Group 1A)can be found (excluding hydrogen) in the first column of the periodic table. They all have 1 valence electron and tend to form +1 cations when forming Ionic bonds with non metals.
The Alkali Earth Metals: (Group 2A) can be found in the second column/group on the periodic table. These elements form +2 positively charged cations when forming Ionic bonds with non metals. They also all have 2 valence electrons.
The Halogens: are the elements that make up the second to last group on the periodic table. These elements include Chlorine, Fluorine, Bromine, Iodine, and Astatine. These elements have 7 valence electrons. The usually form a -1 charged anion when forming ionic bonds with metals.
The Noble gases: the very last group on the periodic table. All these elements have 8 valance electrons. Due to the octet rule these atoms are already very stable and rarely react with other elements.
