Activity Overview
Explore the Sir Isaac Newton's first Law of Motion with this quick and easy Coin Drop Magic Trick. This theory explains that an object at rest will remain at rest unless and outside force acts upon it; while an object that is put into motion will remain in motion unless something stops it.
The coin in this experiment is pulled by gravity down into the glass and the glass stops it from going any further. The cardboard is forced out from underneath the coin quickly and does not acquire enough friction to take the coins with it. Get ready to wow yourself along with your friends with some simple everyday items that you can easily access at home. This magic trick is easy to prepare and quick and easy to learn for kids of all ages.
Materials Needed
- One or more coins
- A drinking glass
- A square piece of cardboard or a playing card
How To Do It
- Place the piece of square cardboard on top of the glass.
- Place the Coin in the center of the cardboard piece.
- From the side, flick the cardboard hard with your fingers.
- The cardboard will fall away and the coin will drop directly down into the glass.
- Next try stacking the coins in different stack heights to see how many you can cause to fall into the glass when you flick the cardboard out from under the stack of coins.