How does a carbocation have a positive charge?
I would like to know how this has a positive charge given that it has 3 bonding pairs of electrons around it, which would give it 6 valence electrons and 8 electrons overall. If carbon has 6 protons, how does this give an ion with a positive charge?


You need to count ALL the protons and electrons in the ion. What about the atoms other than the central carbon?