Organic Compounds

Question 12 • Foothill-B Period-Chemistry-26/27B

Which best explains the difference between a ball-and-stick model of a chemical compound and a space-filling model?

Answer

Ball-and-stick models can show compounds in three dimensions, but space-filling models cannot.

Space-filing models can show compounds in three dimensions, but ball-and-stick models cannot.

Ball-and-stick models show the bonds between atoms, but not the relative sizes of atoms. Space-filling models show the relative sizes of atoms, but not the bonds between atoms.

Space-filling models show the bonds between atoms, but not the relative sizes of atoms. Ball-and-stick models show the relative sizes of atoms, but not the bonds between atoms.

Explanation

Both ball-and-stick and space-filling models can represent molecules in three dimensions. Ball-and-stick models make the connections between atoms clear, but their balls do not accurately show the atoms’ relative sizes. Space-filling models show the relative sizes of atoms, while the bonds are not drawn as separate sticks.

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