How to Make a Ball and Stick Model of a Molecule

You can build a simple molecule model with inexpensive craft supplies.

Molecular structure is a complex topic, which benefits from effective visual aids. It is much easier to understand the basic elements of the structure when you can look at a simplified model of it in action. If you are trying to create a visual illustration of a molecule, the ball and stick method is a tried-and-true medium. Using supplies available at your local craft shop, you can build everything from very simple to incredibly complex molecular structures, depending on the size of the project you have undertaken.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Paper
• Spray paint
• Polystyrene foam balls
• Round wooden craft sticks
• Instant glue

Instructions

1. Sketch a quick draft of how you would like the final molecular model to look. If you are not skilled in drawing with a pencil, find an image of the molecule on the Web and print it out.

2. Paint each of your polystyrene foam balls to separate the specific elements present in the molecule. For instance, in a water molecule there are two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Paint each element a different color to make the model easier to read.

3. Stick one of your round craft sticks into the polystyrene foam, being careful not to puncture the opposite side. You can add a touch of instant glue to the end of the stick to secure it in the foam.

4. Push the other end of the stick into a different foam ball, creating a two-atom structure. Continue adding sticks and balls until your molecule looks like your source image.

References

• University of Massachusetts Amherst: Chemistry; Lecture Demonstration; Molecular Structure, Bonding, Orbital Hybridization
• KidsLoveKits.com: Double Helix DNA Model
• Omega-3 Learning: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Structures