Final answer:
Ionic bonding allows atoms to lower their potential energy and achieve a noble gas configuration by the transfer of electrons between atoms, commonly between metals and nonmetals.
Step-by-step explanation:
Atoms achieve a noble gas configuration and lower their potential energy through ionic bonding. Ionic bonds form when there is a complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another, typically between a nonmetal (which tends to gain electrons) and a metal (which tends to lose electrons). This transfer allows both atoms to attain stable noble gas electron configurations. For example, in the formation of sodium chloride (table salt), sodium (a metal) donates one electron to chlorine (a nonmetal), resulting in a sodium cation (Na+) with a filled noble gas electron configuration and a chloride anion (Cl-) with a filled valence shell.