Would the element sulfur be more likely to become a cation or anion to form a bond with a metal?

Explanation:

An atom of sulfur contains 16 protons, because its atomic number is 16, and 16 electrons, in order to be net-neutral.  For reasons identical to those described in the previous section, the neutron count for this particular sulfur atom is irrelevant to the analysis that will be performed in the following paragraphs and will not be discussed further.

Sulfur's electron configuration, which was first determined in Section 2.6, is shown below.  

1s22s22p63s23p4

Sulfur has 6 valence electrons, as determined either by totaling the electrons found within the orbitals in the highest occupied energy level, which, in this case, includes both the 3s and 3p orbitals, or by identifying the "A/B System" group number for the column in which the element is found.

In order to be stable, a particle must possess an octet, or eight, fully-paired valence electrons.  Sulfur would need to gain 2 electrons in order to achieve an octet configuration.  Unlike in the calcium example presented in the previous section, gaining this number of electrons is possible, as doing so would not exceed the maximum gain-limit of three electrons.  Therefore, sulfur will gain two additional valence electrons.

Consider the impact that this will have on sulfur's electron configuration.  The rules presented in Section 2.6 dictate that if two additional electrons are added, they must both be placed in the 3p orbital, in order to fill that orbital to its maximum capacity.

1s22s22p63s23p(4+2)

Simplification of the 3p orbital's superscript results in a new electron configuration, as shown below.

1s22s22p63s23p6

In this new electron configuration, the number of valence electrons contained in the corresponding particle are still determined by totaling the electrons found within the the 3s and 3p orbitals.

3s23p6

The superscripts associated with these orbitals now sum to 8.  Therefore, this new particle has 8 valence electrons and has achieved, through the process described above, a highly-stable octet configuration.

Note that the number of protons was unchanged in the process described above, so this new particle still contains 16 protons.  Since the identity of an element is defined by the number of protons that it contains, due to the association between atomic number and proton-count, this new particle is still a form of sulfur.  However, since this new particle was formed through the gain of two valence electrons, it now has 18 (16 + 2) electrons.  Therefore, this new particle is no longer a sulfur (S) atom which, as stated above, contains 16 electrons.

according to the u.s. department of agriculture, the label of "certified organic" comes with a set of highly regulated standards for environmental stewardship and resource conservation. some of these include maintenance and improvement of soil quality, prevention of ground and surface water contamination, greenhouse gas regulation, encouragement of biodiversity and conservation of water and energy (see references 1). organic practices integrate natural methods such as mulching, plant diversity, native and adapted plants, crop rotation and the introduction of beneficial insects to control pests without synthetic pesticides.

environmental implications of pesticides

synthetic pesticides ensure high crop yields. while effective in achieving this goal, pesticides contaminate soil, air, ground and surface water, as well as the plants and animals that come into contact with these contaminated sources. freshwater and marine organisms are particularly susceptible to pesticides through agricultural runoff. pesticides also reduce soil fertility (necessitating the use of synthetic fertilizers) and can travel far from the original source, contaminating water and air hundreds of miles from the location of application (see references 2).

health implications of organics

although a subject of particular debate, many recent findings show that organic food is healthier than conventionally grown food. according to the usda, an extensive european union-funded study found that organically grown foods contain more beneficial compounds, such as the vitamins and antioxidants needed to combat many diseases (see references 5). organic milk, meat and eggs are regulated to ensure they are free of hormones administered to conventional livestock and poultry.

health implications of pesticides

pesticides affect human health in three ways: through skin contact, inhalation and ingestion. acute and long-term exposure to pesticides can cause serious health problems for farmers who apply them. the majority of other people are affected by drinking contaminated water and eating contaminated marine life (see references 3). pesticides have been linked to neurological disorders, endocrine and reproductive disorders, immune system deficiencies and cancer. according to the world health organization, acute pesticide poisoning (app) is responsible for significant annual mortality, especially in developing nations (see references 4).

other important considerations

not every small farm or business owner can afford the costly certification process required to be considered "certified organic," even if the farm is not using chemicals. "transitional" farms include those that once used chemicals and are now transitioning to organic-only production. in addition, though organic farming methods offer obvious environmental benefit, an organic apple shipped from around the world creates a different set of environmental problems. locally grown food (particularly locally grown, organic food) is key in sustainable food production.