- Place the index card on top of the small glass.
- Place the coin on top of the index card.
- From the side flick the index card off of the glass. Make sure that the card is flicked parallel to the desk.
- Observe the results: the card moves in the direction of the “push” and the coin falls into the glass.
Conclusion:
An object at rest will stay at rest unless an outside force acts upon it. An object that is moving, will stay moving until something stops it.
In the case of our Coin Drop trick, the coin is at rest while it sits on top of the card and glass. When you flick the card out from under the coin, you enable gravity (an outside force) to act upon the coin and pull it into the glass. When the coin drops, the bottom of the glass stops the coin.
