Tablecloth trick

Materials

Thin, slippery fabric (polyester or rayon)
Non-breakable objects i.e. plastic bowls, bottles
Table with a smooth finish

Method

Place the fabric on the table.
Place the objects on top of the fabric. HINT: best to place them towards the back i.e. not too close to the front edge of the table.
Here are some hints to pull the tablecloth out successfully:

gather up the excess material overhanging the front of the table in your hands
when pulling the table cloth, pull down quickly

Experiment and have some fun!

Try different types of fabric
How high can you stack objects before they fall down?
Place the objects closer to front edge of the table
Does the weight of the objects make a difference?

Difficulty:

Time: 5 minutes

Adult supervision: some

Dangers: minimal

The Science
Firstly, stationary objects have inertia. This means that they will stay still unless a greater force is exerted on the object to make it move.

Secondly, the slippery fabric and the quick pulling movement do not produce enough friction for the objects to move.