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If a spring is compressed against a wall by a wooden block that has a force applied to it, what will happen if the force is removed from the block?

  1. The block of wood will move to the left

  2. The block of wood will move to the right

  3. The spring will collapse

  4. The spring will extend further

The correct answer is: The block of wood will move to the left

When the force applied to the wooden block is removed, the spring, which has been compressed, will naturally return to its original, uncompressed state. This return will result in the spring pushing the block away from the wall. Given that the spring exerts a force in the opposite direction of its compression, this motion will be toward the right side in relation to the original position of the block against the wall. Therefore, the correct outcome is that the block will move to the right due to the restoring force exerted by the spring.