Pull the Tablecloth
We have all seen the trick at least once in our lives. When someone pulls down a tablecloth and the results are somewhat astonishing. The tablecloth is removed from the table but all glasses, plates, and silverware are still at rest on the table. Why is this that all the objects on the table do not come with the tablecloth and crash down onto the floor?
image source: csivc.csi.cuny.edu
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1 solution
In simple words I would explain this with Newton's first law of motion,"An object at rest will stay at rest. An object in motion will stay in motion in a straight line at a constant speed unless acted on by a net force(an outside force)". This law basically describes Inertia which is the tendency of an object to resist a change in its motion. In this case of the pull the tablecloth trick the force you exert on the table cloth from pulling it down isn't enough force to to move the tableware so the tablecloth can sneak under the tableware and seem like magic to any audience members. Sorry about the bad image. :(
How can you preform this trick? Well, a few factors come into play to help you with this trick. If you can you want a cloth with no hem because the hem acts like a speed bump for any tableware and could potentially lead to disaster. The second factor that comes into play is the mass(weight) of the objects you are using. You want to use objects that have more mass(weight) rather than less because the heavier an object is the harder it is to move(also called inertia), right? The last thing is to pull down on the tablecloth with all your might because the acceleration of the cloth is too much for the tableware to follow if you pull down hard enough. If you pull slow though, then it becomes a disaster. The very, very last thing is to have a great day/night or what ever time of the day it is. :)