This simulation illustrates Newton's law of cooling, which shows what happens to the temperatures of water and a metal block when they are put together.

The simulation graphs the temperature as a function of time. It also shows a representation of the block in the water (top right), color-coded by temperature; bar graphs (middle right) showing the energy transferred to the water, and the block (negative means energy was removed); and temperature readouts (bottom right).

Use the sliders to set the initial mass of the water and the block, as well as their initial temperatures. You can use the buttons at the bottom to choose from three different metals. You should be able to rank these metals based on their specific heat.