Place a long wooden ruler on the table with the end extending over the edge of the table.

Place a long wooden ruler on the table with the end extending over the edge of the table. Cover the table with a newspaper on top, smooth the newspaper with your hands so that it fits snugly on the table and ruler. Hit the free end of the ruler sharply – the newspaper does not rise, but breaks. Explain the observed phenomena.

With a sharp impact on the ruler, the edges of the newspaper remain firmly “pressed” by atmospheric pressure, and a vacuum is formed between its center and the table. The enormous pressure of the atmosphere is not compensated by the vacuum in its central part, and the fragile newspaper tears.