Function of Propellers and How they work
The idea of propellers follows newton's third law: "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction". Propellers are built in such a way where when they start rotating, they are displacing the air and pulling it behind them. This action results in what we call thrust, and moves the propeller/plane forward. (just like newton's third law). The more pulled air will result in more thrust which in turn means the plane will speed up. The number of blades on the propeller can also be changed based on the power of the engine. If the engine is a lot stronger, there may be a need for more propeller blades to produce more thrust they carry a heavier plane (Think of a jet engine propeller).
Thrust Table for propellers
A Thrust table holds lots of information such as the amount of voltage, amps, watts, RPM, Temperature of the motor, thrust, throttle, and Propeller size. A thrust table is used to determine which motor is best for your plane. (More info in the motor section). It can also be used to determine what kind of propeller should be used to accommodate the motor based on its efficiency and the amount of thrust produced.
How to tell if a propeller is CW or CCW
You can tell if a propeller is CW or CCW simply by looking at the elevated ridges of the propeller. If the elevated ridge is on the left side it is a clockwise prop and it is a counter-clockwise prop if the elevated ridge is on the right. If you think about how the propeller will displace the air/pull the air, you are going to turn in the direction of the elevated ridge.