A New Twist on the Tablecloth Trick

Are you planning your Thanksgiving dinner? Make sure to include the Tablecloth Trick for the pre-dinner entertainment.

First, make sure you have a tablecloth without a seam or an edge. A frayed edge that hasn’t been sewn is perfect. Lay the tablecloth on the table and stack a few of your friend’s dishes on it. Never use your own, just in case. The dishes stay in place when you pull downward quickly and whip the tablecloth out from under them.

The Tablecloth Trick works thanks to the  Law of Inertia – the tendency for an object to stay at rest until a force acts upon it.

But why stop there? Why not add a new trick on top of whipping the tablecloth? Lay a plate on the tablecloth and then stack three glasses filled with water on top of the plate. For extra heart pounding excitement, add another plate on top of the glasses and stack yet another glass, remembering to use your friend’s dishes, of course.

Then hold your breath and whip that tablecloth.