Purpose: To illustrate that if (almost) no force is exerted on an object, there is (almost) no acceleration of the object.

Have the tablecloth and place setting fixed on the table before class starts. Make up a fiction of your choice about why a person might need the tablecloth removed before removing the dishes from the table. (For example, the roommate in charge of laundry might want to wash the tablecloth before the lazy roommate in charge of dishwashing removes the dishes.) Point out the advantages of using Newton's first law of motion in such a situation.

Grab the tablecloth with both hands; pull down firmly and sharply. With practice, you can get the tablecloth to come out and leave the dishes very nearly at rest.

Before

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