Perform a Law of Motion Magic Trick

There’s nothing like a parlor magic trick to the peak the interest of students.  Have your child try this classic trick. Not only is it fun to perform and impressive to watch, but it is a great example of Newton’s First Law of Motion at work!

What You Need: 

• Sheet or tablecloth
• Table
• Heavy, non-breakable object (textbooks work great)

1. Have your child place a sheet on the table.  Make sure the sheet or tablecloth has a smooth edge, a ridge along the side will make it more difficult to pull it smoothly from under the book. 
2. Place the book on the cloth.  Initially rest the book about 1-2 feet from the edge of the tablecloth. As your little Houdini becomes more adept at the trick, she can gradually work up to centering the book on the cloth. 
3. Have your child quickly pull the cloth out from under the book.  Be sure to have her pull the cloth quickly (think of a snapping motion) and slightly down on the cloth (if she doesn’t understand why, have her try the trick while pulling slightly upward and see what happens).  Can she pull the cloth out from under the book with minimal disturbance to the book?
4. Practice makes perfect!  This is a trick that requires a little skill and a little practice.  As she gets better at the trick your child can opt to place more impressive objects on the cloth like dishes, but always think twice about using the fine china!

Why does the trick work? 

As with everything, there are several science concepts at work, but the key concept is Newton’s First Law of Motion.  Ask your aspiring magician to recite Newton’s First Law.  She should say something similar to: