Here it says to provide the condensed electron configuration for the aluminum atom. Atom means that we're dealing with the neutral form of it if you look on the periodic table. So step one, we have to find the element on the periodic table. So aluminum has an atomic number of 13, which means it has 13 electrons involved.

Step 2. We're going to locate the noble gas that comes before the element and place it inside brackets. So the noble gas before aluminum is neon, so put it in brackets. Step 3, continuing from the noble gas in brackets, complete the rest of the electron configuration. So we dealt with neon. So let's continue onward to aluminum. So next would come 3 S₂ and then 3P₁.

So this would be the condensed electron configuration of aluminum. Instead of having to write 1S₂ 2S₂ 2P₆ 3S₂ 3P₁, we have this new condensed electron configuration. Neon here is taking the spot of all of this, so it's easier and faster for us to write the electron configuration of aluminum in this regard. So just remember the condensed electron configuration saves us a lot of time in terms of writing out the electron arrangements for elements and ions.