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Because Oxygen needs 2 more electrons to fill it's octet so usaually it bonds with two hydrogen atoms to make water, but OH only has one hydrogen atom so it takes another electron from it's surroundings giving it a negative charge

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13y ago

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Hydroxide ions (OH-) have a negative charge because the oxygen atom is more electronegative than the hydrogen atom, pulling the shared electrons closer to itself. This results in an uneven distribution of electrons, making the oxygen atom slightly negative and the hydrogen atom slightly positive, giving the overall ion a negative charge.

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9mo ago
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Q: Why do hydroxide have a negative charge?
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