A domino is a flat, thumb-sized rectangular block, bearing from one to six pips or dots (see Dominoes). A complete set of dominoes contains 28 pieces. Each domino is normally twice as long as it is wide and has a line down the middle to divide it visually into two squares. The value of either side is indicated by the number of pips: a domino with six pips on each end has a higher rank than a domino with no pips at all. A domino is referred to as a “tile” or a “brick.”
A set of dominoes may be used for several games of chance and skill. The rules of each game vary from place to place, but generally the basic rule is that a player must play a domino so that it lands on top of another tile with its matching pips. These matched tiles are then arranged in a line, called the Line of Play, which is the basis for most games. The resulting line of dominoes are known as a “domino chain” or, more technically, a “domino row.”
When standing upright, a domino stores potential energy, the energy it has based on its position. When a domino falls, most of that energy converts to kinetic energy, the energy of motion. That energy is transferred to the next domino and gives it the push it needs to fall as well. The chain continues until all the dominoes have fallen.
Dominoes can be used to demonstrate the principles of physics, including the law of conservation of energy and the law of momentum. They can also be used to teach counting and probability, especially among children. The most common domino games involve emptying a players hand while blocking opponents’ play, although scoring games such as bergen and muggins are also played. There are even domino games that duplicate card games, such as matador and Mexican train.
When a player draws more tiles for his hand than he is entitled to, it is called an overdraw and the extras must be returned to the stock before any other players draw their hands. This is also a good time to reshuffle the deck.
Lily Hevesh, a domino artist and YouTube star with more than 2 million subscribers, has a unique way of creating her mind-blowing domino setups. Hevesh works in her grandmother’s garage, where she uses a drill press, scroll saw, belt sander, and welder to create the complex structures that she uploads on YouTube for her viewers to admire.
Hevesh says she begins with a general theme or purpose for the installation and brainstorms ideas for images or words she might want to include in it. She then tests out each section of the piece, filming it in slow motion to check for flaws. Once she has perfected each individual part, she puts them together to create the finished product. The process is similar to engineering design and she makes sure all the pieces work together before moving on to the next step.
