Can you force the atoms into new configurations by pushing atoms around? what does this suggest about the configuration of atoms in real molecules?

 No

Explanation:  No, we cannot force the atoms to leave their original shape and

gain a new configuration by pushing all the atoms because of the Repulsion Theory, which explains that no 2 electrons can be stay together in the minimum space because they would repel each other. That is why the lone pairs of electrons share the maximum space so that they wont be able to get in to the vicinity of the bonded electrons and thus experiencing the maximum repulsion.

Thus configuration of atoms in the real molecules suggests that the bonded pair of electrons and lone pairs of electrons (if present) will share the maximum space .