What do you call a model that represents something through analogy, like billiard balls for gas?

The correct term for a model that represents something using analogy, such as likening the behavior of gas molecules to billiard balls, is an analogical model. Analogical models use familiar concepts to explain and predict the behavior of a less familiar system. In this case, comparing gas particles to billiard balls helps illustrate their interactions, such as collisions and movement, in a way that is easier to understand.

Analogical models are particularly useful in science because they enable students and researchers to grasp complex ideas more readily by connecting them to more tangible experiences or objects. This approach allows for a simplified understanding of intricate phenomena while still capturing essential characteristics relevant to the system being examined.