Hydrogen has one valence electron and oxygen has 6 valence electrons. However, the dot structure shows 3 lone pairs of oxygen and 1 shares with hydrogen.How is that possible?
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2$\begingroup$ The extra electron comes from that "-" in "OH-". If we just took two neutral atoms, O and H, they wouldn't form $\ce{OH-}$, but a neutral particle instead. $\endgroup$– Ivan NeretinAug 10, 2016 at 6:16
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$\begingroup$ @Mithoron However, the answer to the question you refer does not answer my question nor the question you refer. The answer just mentions the algorithm of Lewis dot structure. And that is not my doubt. Reliable theory needs reliable observations. $\endgroup$– Mathivanan PalrajAug 11, 2016 at 0:36
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I think OH- should not be seen independently nor does it exist independently. The extra electron should come from some other atom, which becomes cation. However, I'm not sure whether my understanding is correct.