Conduction Between Two Tanks

This simulation models heat conduction along a bent metal bar that connects two water tanks. The bar obeys the one‑dimensional heat equation with heat loss to the surrounding air, while each tank exchanges heat with the bar and the room. Real material properties such as thermal conductivity are used, and the burner supplies a fixed power to the first tank.

Students can select the bar’s material—copper, aluminium, iron, or glass—using the dropdown at the top of the scene, and they can turn the burner on or off with a button (or the F key). The bar changes colour to indicate its temperature, and the water in each tank is tinted according to its temperature. Temperature readings appear on panels and in a graph, allowing learners to compare how quickly the second tank warms for different materials.

By experimenting with material choice and burner operation, learners observe the impact of thermal conductivity and heat loss on the rate of temperature rise, reinforcing concepts of heat transfer, steady‑state versus transient conduction, and energy conservation in thermodynamic systems.