Final answer:
Aluminum wants to be like the noble gas neon, as it achieves stability by losing three electrons to match neon's electron configuration of 1s² 2s² 2p⁶.
Step-by-step explanation:
The noble gas that aluminum (Al) wants to be like is neon (Ne). Aluminum, with an atomic number of 13, has 13 electrons and seeks to achieve a stable electron configuration by losing three valence electrons. This is evident when considering aluminum's electron configuration [Ne]3s² 3p¹. By losing those three electrons, aluminum forms an Al³⁺ cation with the electron configuration 1s² 2s² 2p⁶, which is identical to the noble gas neon (© the noble gas, used in lighting, with 10 electrons and 10 neutrons).
Atoms like aluminum often stabilize by adjusting their electron configuration to resemble that of the closest noble gas. In aluminum's case, shedding its three extra electrons leads to the same stable, octet electron arrangement found in neon. This reflects aluminum's tendency towards stability by emulating the electron configuration of a noble gas, specifically neon, in order to exist in a more energetically favorable state.