Question

Biologists use ball-and-stick models to study complex molecules by representing atoms with balls and bonds with sticks. DNA is a biological molecule that contains millions of atoms. What is a limitation of using a ball-and-stick model for DNA?

Answer 1

The limitations of models in science are that they don't show you the actual thing, models are very different.

Ball-and-stick models are unrealistic depictions of molecules; they completely ignore what chemists know from quantum mechanics about the nature of matter at the subatomic level. Nonetheless, they are simple, easy to draw and offer a wealth of insights into molecular structure and properties in a way that's easy to visualize and understand.

http://www.ehow.com/info_8652502_limitations-models-science.html#ixzz2sIzQ58Pe