How is a water molecule formed through electron sharing?

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Water forms through covalent bonding, where atoms share electrons rather than transfer them. Oxygen has six valence electrons and needs two more to complete its octet, while each hydrogen has one electron and needs one more to form a stable duet. By sharing electrons with each hydrogen, oxygen donates one electron to each bond and simultaneously accepts one from each hydrogen, creating two shared electron pairs in total. These two shared pairs establish two O–H covalent bonds, tying the three atoms together into a single molecule. Because oxygen is more electronegative, the shared electrons spend more time near oxygen, giving the molecule polarity with a partial negative charge on oxygen and partial positive charges on the hydrogens.