How does sodium form a positive ion?

Sodium forms a positive ion, or cation, by losing its single valence electron.31

As an alkali metal, a neutral sodium atom has an electronic configuration of 2-8-1, meaning it has one electron in its outermost shell. This valence electron is weakly bound and easily removed. When sodium reacts with nonmetals, it loses this outermost electron to achieve a more stable configuration. The removal of this negatively charged electron leaves the sodium atom with a net positive charge, resulting in the formation of a sodium cation ($N{a}^{+}$).2314