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The sodium atom (atomic number 11), with 1 valence electron in its third energy level, would like to achieve the stability of its nearest noble gas neighbor, the neon (Ne) atom (atomic number 10), which contains 8 valence electrons in its second energy level.
Because sodium gives up the electron from the 3s orbital it now has only 10 electrons but still has 11 protons, giving it a +1 charge and it becomes a Na+ cation.