Is aluminum a cation or anion

Aluminum, a member of the IIIA family, loses three electrons to form a 3+ cation. ... And all of them form an anion with a single negative charge. The VIA elements gain two electrons to form anions with a 2- charge. The VA elements gain three electrons to form anions with a 3- charge.

since the atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, as we move to the left on the periodic table, the electrostatic pull between the nucleus and the valence electron shell decreases. as we move down a group (vertical column), the valence shell energy level gets further and further from the nucleus.

i believe it is c.) 1575 j.