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Inertia - Tablecloth Trick
Purpose
To dramatically demonstrate inertia of rest.◙
Equipment
Tablecloth with table setting, as photographed.
Setup Time
5 min.
Images
Description
The table setting rests on a silk tablecloth. Rapidly yanking the tablecloth out from under the setting pieces leaves the table setting unchanged.
References
Joseph Perez, The tablecloth pull, TPT 15, 242, (1977). H. T. Hudson, There's more to it than inertia, TPT 23, 163, (1985). Haber-Schaim and Dodge, There's More to it than Friction, TPT 29, 56-57, (1991).
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See pagesc1. center of mass motion
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See pagesc3. first law of motion
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See pagesc4. second law of motion
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See pagesc5. third law of motion
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See pagesc6. friction
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See pagesc7. collisions
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See pagesc8. mechanical energy & power
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See pagesc1. center of mass motion
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See pagesc3. first law of motion
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See pagesc4. second law of motion
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See pagesc5. third law of motion
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See pagesc6. friction
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See pagesc7. collisions
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See pagesc8. mechanical energy & power
Physics Lab Demos