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By: Madi and Julianna
Introduction
Introduction
Have you ever wondered how your favorite actors and actresses pull a table cloth off of a table and everything stays on it? You can learn how to do it too and discover the secret to how this trick works. Although you may have thought that this trick works due to some movie editing, you can actually thank science and the law of inertia!
To perform this trick yourself you will need:
To perform this trick yourself you will need:
A table cloth without hemming that can be cloth or plastic
Some plastic plates and cups
A table (preferably one that sits over a carpet and has a smooth surface)
Any other items that won't break if dropped
Safety comes first!
Safety comes first!
Even though this trick can be fun for everyone, it is important that you also pay attention to these safety considerations:
Please only practice this trick with an adult around! It is key to any science experiment that you always have someone supervising so no one gets hurt.
Also, do not use any glass object or one with sharp edges just in case these items fall. I promise you will be a master at this trick but it will take a lot of practice until you get it right!
Procedure:
Procedure:
Put your table cloth across at least 2 feet of table and set your objects up in any order you would like. Make sure that there are no wrinkles or lumps in the cloth, and you can let the extra fabric hang off the edge of the table. For your first time use only a couple objects- you can add more as you become an expert!
Pull the table cloth straight down the edge of the table as quickly as you can. The key to this trick is the downward motion- remind yourself to pull down not out. The objects should stay on the table while you pull the cloth out from under it, this demonstrates Newton's First Law!
As you build up your confidence you can start adding more objects and teach the trick to other family and friends!
Table Cloth Magic!.movThe secret to this experiment!
The secret to this experiment!
You might be wondering how this trick works. Well, this experiment can be explained by the Law of Inertia, also called Newton's First Law. This law states that an object that is moving wants to keep moving and objects at rest want to stay at rest. Because the objects on the table are at rest, they don't want to move with the table cloth and they will stay on the table even when the cloth is pulled. Thank you Sir Isaac Newton!
We can also consider friction when performing this trick. Because the table cloth and the objects have little friction, it makes it easier for us to pull, and the objects are only dragged for a short distance.
Helpful Resources:
Helpful Resources:
Whip off the tablecloth trick: Science experiment. (2020, March 16). Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/trick-with-tablecloth/
Can you say inertia? (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://wonders.physics.wisc.edu/beaker-and-cloth/
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