Newton's first law states that unless acted with by an external force, the dinnerware will remain immobile. The horizontal force acting on the objects on the table in this example is the frictional force between them and the table cloth, which sets them in motion.
According to Newton's second law, the force required to accelerate the tableware is proportional to the rate of acceleration. When the tablecloth is slowly pushed, the dinnerware adjusts to fit the modest rate of acceleration and moves with it. When the tableware is pulled swiftly, it needs to accelerate at a faster pace to keep up; but, the effort required to do so is larger than the frictional force available, thus it lags behind. The tableware 'stays put' when the cloth is tugged quickly.''
This question covers one of the most enigmatic aspects of our universe! Inertia is the easy answer to your question. In other words, because of inertia, when you remove the table linen off a table full of dishes, the dishes stay put. Matter's inertia is a property that characterizes its resistance to change in motion. When you're jogging and try to turn, you'll find that the faster you go or the bigger you are, the more difficult it is to shift direction.
Other examples of inertia include the following. Another example of inertia is when you are riding in a car and the driver rounds a corner and you feel pushed toward the door or over to the driver.
