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On doing a Google search, it says the glass stays put if we pull the tablecloth fast enough, as in, the glass does not move at all. I have seen some videos and the objects put on the tablecloth seem to do just that, not move at all.

But is it really the case? The glass does not move at all? Not even a tiny bit? I understand the physics here (or maybe not). According to my understanding, if we yank the tablecloth, it accelerates very quickly and loses contact with the glass in a fraction of a second. But during that split second, as the tablecloth is sliding under the glass, there is a dynamic friction acting on the glass due to the relative motion of the tablecloth. That dynamic friction might be very small, but it is still a force acting on the glass. Should it not move the glass a tiny bit? The shift might be so small that eyes can't perceive it. But it should be there, no? Or am I wrong and the glass does indeed not move at all?

Edit : There is no 'Hem' around the edges of the tablecloth. Friction is the only force acting here

On doing a Google search, it says the glass stays put if we pull the tablecloth fast enough, as in, the glass does not move at all. I have seen some videos and the objects put on the tablecloth seem to do just that, not move at all.

But is it really the case? The glass does not move at all? Not even a tiny bit? I understand the physics here (or maybe not). According to my understanding, if we yank the tablecloth, it accelerates very quickly and loses contact with the glass in a fraction of a second. But during that split second, as the tablecloth is sliding under the glass, there is a dynamic friction acting on the glass due to the relative motion of the tablecloth. That dynamic friction might be very small, but it is still a force acting on the glass. Should it not move the glass a tiny bit? The shift might be so small that eyes can't perceive it. But it should be there, no? Or am I wrong and the glass does indeed not move at all?

On doing a Google search, it says the glass stays put if we pull the tablecloth fast enough, as in, the glass does not move at all. I have seen some videos and the objects put on the tablecloth seem to do just that, not move at all.

But is it really the case? The glass does not move at all? Not even a tiny bit? I understand the physics here (or maybe not). According to my understanding, if we yank the tablecloth, it accelerates very quickly and loses contact with the glass in a fraction of a second. But during that split second, as the tablecloth is sliding under the glass, there is a dynamic friction acting on the glass due to the relative motion of the tablecloth. That dynamic friction might be very small, but it is still a force acting on the glass. Should it not move the glass a tiny bit? The shift might be so small that eyes can't perceive it. But it should be there, no? Or am I wrong and the glass does indeed not move at all?

Edit : There is no 'Hem' around the edges of the tablecloth. Friction is the only force acting here

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4d_
4d_
  • 876
  • 7
  • 28

When we pull a tablecloth off a table with a glass on it

On doing a Google search, it says the glass stays put if we pull the tablecloth fast enough, as in, the glass does not move at all. I have seen some videos and the objects put on the tablecloth seem to do just that, not move at all.

But is it really the case? The glass does not move at all? Not even a tiny bit? I understand the physics here (or maybe not). According to my understanding, if we yank the tablecloth, it accelerates very quickly and loses contact with the glass in a fraction of a second. But during that split second, as the tablecloth is sliding under the glass, there is a dynamic friction acting on the glass due to the relative motion of the tablecloth. That dynamic friction might be very small, but it is still a force acting on the glass. Should it not move the glass a tiny bit? The shift might be so small that eyes can't perceive it. But it should be there, no? Or am I wrong and the glass does indeed not move at all?