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Note that for molecules (including macromolecules,
including chunks of solid) /at equilibrium/ near the
bottom of the energy-level diagram, the interatomic
force -- including KE as well as PE -- can be modeled
as a spring /to first order/ for small oscilations.
This is not suprising; almost anything is linear to
first order! For large-amplitude oscillations, this
pseudo-spring becomes exceedingly nonlinear.
In equilibrium this force is equal to
the force acting on the proton due to the applied field E, which is F = eE,
so (ke/R^3)r = E, and the displacement of the proton is proportional to the
applied field, which means that you can model the response to an applied
field with a spring-like force.