Final answer:
Aluminum tends to lose three valence electrons upon ionization, forming a cation with a 3+ charge, Al³⁺. While there are other potential ion states such as Al²⁺, Al⁺, and Al⁻, the Al³⁺ ion is the most common and stable form.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question centers around arranging an aluminum ion in terms of ionization. To address the question accurately, it should be noted that aluminum, with 13 electrons, naturally tends to lose its three valence electrons to form the ion Al³⁺. The valence electron configuration for aluminum is 3s² 3p¹. During the process of ionization, aluminum loses its three valence electrons resulting in an aluminum ion with a 3+ charge, since now there are more protons than electrons in the ion.
The correct order of aluminum ions based on likely ionization (with the presumption of typical oxidation states) is: 1) Al³⁺, 2) Al²⁺, 3) Al⁺, 4) Al⁻. However, the most common and stable ion of aluminum is Al³⁺. Aluminum does not typically form Al²⁺, Al⁺, or Al⁻ in normal chemical reactions. Therefore, when arranging purely by ionization potential, we acknowledge Al³⁺ as the most probable aluminum file (or ion).