Final answer:
Scientists use models to describe atoms because they are too small to study directly. These models are simplifications of the true atom and include representations like charged particles and the nuclear model. While helpful for visualization, they are not complete representations of atomic structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, scientists have indeed created models to describe atoms, due to their tiny size and the inherent difficulty in studying them directly. Atomic models help in visualizing and understanding the structure and behavior of atoms. These models range from simple representations like tiny particles with charges, to more complex quantum mechanical models that describe less definite shapes and boundaries.
Rutherford's gold foil experiment, for example, led to the discovery that an atom's mass is concentrated in a tiny nucleus, which was revolutionary at the time. Scientists now know that the particles making up the atom's nucleus—protons and neutrons—are held together by powerful nuclear forces and that atoms participate in forming chemical bonds due to their electron configurations.
The models give us a starting point for understanding, but they are simplifications and not a complete representation of reality. For instance, while chemists may visualize electrons as tiny negatively charged particles, physicists must also consider their wave-like properties as described by quantum mechanics. As such, the study of atomic structure continues to evolve as we deepen our understanding of the microscopic world.