Let's say I put a very hot 100o C, 41 g cube of aluminum in 71 ml water at room temperature (20o C). What is the temperature of the water after equilibrium occurs
The heat lost by the aluminum equals the heat gained by the water.
Look up the specific heat of aluminum, C_a, and write the above statement as an equation. Let C_w be the specific heat of water.
M_a*C_a*(100 - T) = M_w*C_w*(T - 20)
M_a = 41 g
M_w = 71 g
C_w = 1.0 cal/C*g
Solve for the unknown final temperature, T