I know my computer has spdif audio outputs on the back so i can plug them into a home theatre amp, but i dont even know what those cables look like. i am trying to go from my laptop to my rca (white/red) inputs on my amp
SPDIF is a digital audio interface, whereas the RCA is analog - the two are not compatible.
If your amp only has RCA red/white inputs, you just need a stereo headphone jack to dual RCA converter. They're cheap and also pretty easy to make, if you want to.