Question

Why does the oxygen atom in a water molicule have a negative charge

Answer 1

Answer:

The unequal sharing of electrons gives the water molecule a slight negative charge near its oxygen atom and a slight positive charge near its hydrogen atoms.

Answer 2

Answer:

In the covalent bond between oxygen and hydrogen, the oxygen atom attracts electrons a bit more strongly than the hydrogen atoms. The unequal sharing of electrons gives the water molecule a slight negative charge near its oxygen atom and a slight positive charge near its hydrogen atoms.

Hope it helps!