Why are two balls connected by a spring a good model for two atoms connected by a chemical bond? (a) If the two atoms get farther apart than the equilibrium interatomic distance, they attract each...

Why are two balls connected by a spring a good model for two atoms connected by a chemical bond?

(a) If the two atoms get farther apart than the equilibrium interatomic distance, they attract each other.

(b) Each spring represents a real microscopic coiled metal wire that connects two adjacent atoms. If the two atoms get

closer together than the equilibrium interatomic distance, they repel each other.

(c) The magnitude of the force one atom exerts on another is proportional to the stretch or compression of the bond

between them.