* Potassium's Electronic Configuration: Potassium (K) has an atomic number of 19, meaning it has 19 protons and 19 electrons. Its electronic configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s¹.
* Noble Gas Configuration: The nearest noble gas to potassium is Argon (Ar), with an electronic configuration of 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶.
* Achieving Noble Gas Configuration: To achieve the stable electron configuration of Argon, potassium needs to lose one electron from its outermost shell (4s¹).
* Formation of the Ion: When potassium loses one electron, it becomes positively charged, forming a cation. The charge is +1 because it lost one negatively charged electron.
Therefore, the formula of the ion formed when potassium achieves a noble gas configuration is K⁺.