Final answer:
Blue and red atoms do not attract each other because they represent electrons and protons with like charges, and like charges repel each other. The attraction that leads to chemical bonds is between the electrons of one atom and the protons of another atom.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of why blue atoms do not attract other blue atoms and red atoms do not attract other red atoms can be answered by understanding electrical repulsion between similarly charged particles. Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons have a positive charge, and electrons have a negative charge.
Like charges repel each other, meaning that the negatively charged electrons in one atom repel the negatively charged electrons in another atom; this is sometimes represented as blue attracting red, or vice versa, in diagrams for simplicity. This principle also applies to protons; the positively charged protons in one atom repel the positively charged protons in another atom. The attraction occurs when the electrons of one atom are attracted to the protons in a nearby atom, which can lead to the formation of chemical bonds through the sharing or transferring of electrons.