Why don't atoms get too close?
a.) The electrons from atom repel each other
b.) The protons from each atom repel each other
c.) The neutrons from each atom repel each other
This tends not to happen, because atoms are composed of charged particles that interact at a distance. ... Since the electrons are around the outside of the atom, those are the things that first interact, and as they have the same charge, they repel one another.
