Elements that typically lose an electron to become an ion are usually metals, particularly those found in Groups 1 and 2 of the periodic table. These include alkali metals like lithium, sodium, and potassium, as well as alkaline earth metals like magnesium and calcium.
When these metals lose one or more electrons, they become positively charged ions, also known as cations. For example, when sodium (Na) loses one electron, it transforms into a sodium ion (Na+). The tendency to lose electrons is largely due to their low ionization energies, which means that it requires relatively little energy to remove an electron from their outermost shell.
In summary, metals are the elements most likely to lose electrons and form ions, helping them to achieve a stable electronic configuration by mimicking the electron structure of noble gases.