If you’ve ever watched a domino effect in action, it’s amazing to see how just one little push can cause a cascade of motion that ends in a beautiful structure. But how does it work, and what can we learn from it about writing?
A domino is a small, flat rectangular block used in gaming. It has a line down its middle that separates it into two squares. Each end is either blank or has an arrangement of spots—also called pips—like the numbers on a die.
Dominoes are used to play many different games, including poker and blackjack. They can also be arranged in creative ways to make artwork. Domino art can be simple or elaborate — straight lines, curved lines, grids that form pictures when the dominoes fall, or 3D structures like towers and pyramids. Some artists even create intricate designs by drawing arrows on paper, and then using them to plan out how they would like their dominoes to fall.
In addition to games played with dominoes, they can also be used for education, science experiments, and art projects. For example, students can use them to build structures or create patterns in the shape of letters or animals. They can also draw on them with crayons or paint. Some people even create large domino sculptures that look like houses or cars.
When the first domino is tipped, it has potential energy that is stored in its squares of pips. As soon as it’s pushed, that potential energy is converted to kinetic energy and transmitted to the next domino in the line, giving it the push it needs to fall. That energy travels along the line until it reaches the last domino, which then falls.
For most domino games, players start with 28 tiles that are shuffled face down to become the stock or boneyard. Each player draws seven tiles from this pool and places them on-edge in front of them so that they can see their values, but not the values of their opponents’ pieces. Each player then plays a domino from their hand, adding to the chain until they reach a value that is divisible by five or three, when they score points.
Aside from traditional plastic sets, dominoes can be made out of other materials such as stone (like marble, granite or soapstone), natural woods (like ebony and oak); metals (like brass or pewter); and ceramic clay. Some players prefer the feel and weight of these natural sets over polymer plastic, which can be cold to the touch.
The word “domino” itself has an interesting history. Besides meaning a game, it also used to be synonymous with a long hooded cloak worn together with a mask at a carnival or masked ball. The term may have derived from the French word for priest, since domino pieces once had contrasting black and ivory faces, resembling the colors of a priest’s surplice.
