Things You'll Need:
- Three styrofoam balls, any size
- Tempera paint
- Wire coat hanger
- White glue
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Step 1
Make your oxygen and carbon "atoms." Oxygen atoms are about 5 percent smaller than carbon atoms, so if you want to show that size difference, roll the oxygen balls between the palm of your hand and a hard surface to compress them a little bit. Skip this step if that kind of accuracy is not important to you.
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Step 2
Paint your atoms. Atoms do not really have any color in nature, but models of carbon atoms are often painted black, and oxygen atoms are often painted blue. You should use tempera paint because many other kinds of paint will melt the styrofoam.
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Step 3
Cut a straight piece of coat hanger long enough to go all the way through the carbon ball and stick out about an inch and a half on both sides. This will help you line up the balls and give your model strength.
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Step 4
Put some white glue onto each oxygen ball where it will touch the carbon ball, and push them onto the coat hanger.
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Step 5
Allow the glue to dry.
