Calculating formal charge

[Nikita Patra 3J]

Why is that when we count the total number of valence electrons, we count the two electrons in the covalent bond as if either atom has both of them when we consider the octet rule, but when we calculate formal charge, we only count one of the two electrons in the covalent bond?

[nehashetty_2G]

I think that when calculating formal charge, the concept is not to look at how many electrons an atom has, rather it is to look at the number of SHARED bonds that an atom is involved in.

[Abigail_Hagen2G]

Valence electrons just show how many bonds can be formed, while formal charge shows the bonds.

[Daniel Yu 1E]

When calculating formal charge, you would count each e- in lone pairs as individual e- but shared e- as a whole because their charge is not solely distributed to one atom.

[Cindy Adiwidjaja 1B]

Another way to think of it is to envision the electrons in the whole lewis structure, not in a singular atom. By looking it at a bigger picture, it will help.