Answer the question briefly and to the point:
What will happen to the potential energy of the atoms of a solid when compressed? On stretching a wire ?

Explanation

To answer the question regarding the potential energy of atoms in a solid when compressed or when a wire is stretched, we can break it down into the following steps:

### Step 1: Understand Potential Energy
Potential energy is the energy stored in an object due to its position or configuration. In the context of atoms in a solid, it refers to the energy associated with the arrangement of atoms and the forces acting between them.

### Step 2: Effect of Compression on Potential Energy
When a solid is compressed, the atoms are pushed closer together. This change in position affects the potential energy:
- As the distance between atoms decreases, the potential energy associated with the interatomic forces increases because the atoms are in a state of higher energy due to the increased repulsive forces when they are forced closer together.
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