Final answer:
Newton's law of cooling is characterized by the differential equation dT/dt = k(T - A), where T is the temperature of the object, A is the ambient temperature, and k is a negative constant of proportionality that determines the rate of cooling.
Step-by-step explanation:
Newton's law of cooling is described by a differential equation that characterizes how the temperature of a warm object, T(t), changes in relation to time, t. This law states that the rate of temperature change of the object is proportional to the difference between the object's temperature and the ambient temperature, A. The proportionality constant is denoted as k, which is a negative constant that determines the rate of cooling.
The equation that models Newton's law of cooling is expressed as:
dT/dt = k(T - A)
where dT/dt represents the rate of change of temperature with respect to time, T represents the temperature of the object at time t, A is the ambient temperature, and k is the negative constant of proportionality.