When elements react, what is involved is the behavior of electrons—they can be given away, taken, or shared depending on the type of chemical bond formed. Specifically:

• In ionic bonds, one element gives away electrons (loses electrons) and another element takes those electrons (gains electrons), resulting in positively charged and negatively charged ions that attract each other.
• In covalent bonds, electrons are shared between atoms, allowing each element to achieve greater stability.
• The transfer or sharing of electrons happens because atoms tend to seek stable electron configurations, often resembling the nearest noble gas configuration.
• The breaking and forming of bonds during chemical reactions involve atoms rearranging by losing, gaining, or sharing electrons, but no atoms themselves are created or destroyed in the process.

Thus, elements either give away electrons, take electrons, or share electrons when they react, depending on whether they form ionic or covalent bonds.