The purpose of most science education is to help learners develop mental models that most closely resemble the consensus models of scientists.
Physical models often are used in science to represent concepts, especially those that are difficult to comprehend.
Analogies and metaphors are also used to describe scientific phenomena that are difficult or impossible to observe directly in the learning environment because of limitations of time or space.
Models, by definition, have limitations; thus, it is important to present the learner with multiple models in order to that highlight the deficiencies in a single model and demonstrate which parts are important overall.
