Is the table-cloth trick driven more by inertia or friction?

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The success of the table-cloth trick is attributed to both inertia and the ability to exert a force greater than the static friction opposing the motion of the objects. Inertia allows the objects to remain at rest while the cloth is pulled quickly. The key is to pull the tablecloth swiftly enough that dynamic friction does not have time to significantly accelerate the objects. By minimizing the time of contact, the momentum imparted to the objects is reduced, resulting in less speed. Ultimately, both factors play a crucial role in the effectiveness of the trick.
Bashyboy
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Hi,

Is the success of the table-cloth trick ascribed to inertia, or the fact that the person pulling on the table-cloth is able to pull with a greater force than the static friction trying to oppose relative motion of the objects on the table-cloth and the table cloth itself?
 
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Have you considered that it could be both?
 
Inertia is certainly necessary, but the real trick is to pull so hard that the tablecloth will be removed in a very short time that the dynamic friction doesn't have time to accelerate the objects much. The amount of momentum the objects get is (friction force) * (time), so by making the time as short as possible, the momentum, and thus the speed of the objects will be made as small as possible.
 

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