A 0.40kg block of aluminum at 350K is brought into thermal contact with a 0.60kg block of aluminum at 290K inside an insulating container that prevents any energy exchange with the surroundings. Assume the specific heat capacity of aluminum is constant at 900Jkg−1K−1 over the temperature range of interest and that no phase change occurs.
(a) Determine the equilibrium temperature of the two-block system after a long time has passed.
(b) Calculate the entropy change of each block and the total entropy change of the isolated system for the process that takes the blocks from their initial temperatures to the common equilibrium temperature.
(c) State whether the result you obtained for the total entropy change is consistent with the second law of thermodynamics, and justify your answer.