The Domino Effect
Dominoes have a unique property: When you push just one of them to its tipping point, it can set off a chain reaction that causes many others to fall over at once. The physics of the domino effect is fascinating and shows how tiny actions can lead to great outcomes.
The domino effect is also a great way to introduce concepts like gravity, momentum and energy. Hevesh creates her mind-blowing domino setups following a version of the engineering design process, and you can find her creative creations on her website, Dominos in Motion.
A domino is a rectangular tile with one or more pips on it. Each pips is either a number or blank, or a combination of numbers and blanks. Some pips are marked with dots in a specific arrangement, which tells what game the domino belongs to. Other pips are bare or striped. The blank pips allow you to create a custom domino with your own markings, or to use them as wilds in a game where wilds can be played for any value.
Most domino games are played with a set of 28 tiles that is shuffled and placed face down on the table. The resulting pile of tiles is called the stock or boneyard. Each player draws seven tiles from the stock. The player who draws the heaviest domino makes the first play of that hand. Some games have additional rules for drawing from the stock, including how to bye and pass tiles.
After a domino is played, it joins the line of play in two ways: either lengthwise, where doubles are played end to end, or crosswise, where singles are played across. Some games also specify that the first domino played must be a spinner, or that every double played throughout the game is a spinner.
While there are countless domino variants, most fit into four categories: bidding, blocking, scoring, and round games. Some of these games are played with the whole group, while others are played with a subset of players.
The most basic domino set consists of a double-six set. Each domino has a number of pips on its edge that tells what game it belongs to and what the rules of that game are. Some of the pips are bare or striped, while others have markings that resemble the numbers on a die. The bare or striped pips are called the aces and the marked pips are called the kings.
Traditionally, domino sets were made from natural materials such as silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or dark hardwoods such as ebony. These were often inlaid or painted with contrasting black or white pips. More recently, domino sets have been produced from more durable polymers such as plastics and bakelite. However, some players still prefer to use the traditional wooden, ivory or ebony domino sets for their elegance and feel. Some set manufacturers have also offered a wide range of different materials for their domino sets, including marble, granite and soapstone.
Dominoes have a unique property: When you push just one of them to its tipping point, it can set off a chain reaction that causes many others to fall over at once. The physics of the domino effect is fascinating and shows how tiny actions can lead to great outcomes. The domino effect is also a great way to introduce concepts like gravity, momentum and energy. Hevesh creates her mind-blowing domino setups following a version of the engineering design process, and you can find her creative creations on her website, Dominos in Motion. A domino is a rectangular tile with one or more pips on it. Each pips is either a number or blank, or a combination of numbers and blanks. Some pips are marked with dots in a specific arrangement, which tells what game the domino belongs to. Other pips are bare or striped. The blank pips allow you to create a custom domino with your own markings, or to use them as wilds in a game where wilds can be played for any value. Most domino games are played with a set of 28 tiles that is shuffled and placed face down on the table. The resulting pile of tiles is called the stock or boneyard. Each player draws seven tiles from the stock. The player who draws the heaviest domino makes the first play of that hand. Some games have additional rules for drawing from the stock, including how to bye and pass tiles. After a domino is played, it joins the line of play in two ways: either lengthwise, where doubles are played end to end, or crosswise, where singles are played across. Some games also specify that the first domino played must be a spinner, or that every double played throughout the game is a spinner. While there are countless domino variants, most fit into four categories: bidding, blocking, scoring, and round games. Some of these games are played with the whole group, while others are played with a subset of players. The most basic domino set consists of a double-six set. Each domino has a number of pips on its edge that tells what game it belongs to and what the rules of that game are. Some of the pips are bare or striped, while others have markings that resemble the numbers on a die. The bare or striped pips are called the aces and the marked pips are called the kings. Traditionally, domino sets were made from natural materials such as silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or dark hardwoods such as ebony. These were often inlaid or painted with contrasting black or white pips. More recently, domino sets have been produced from more durable polymers such as plastics and bakelite. However, some players still prefer to use the traditional wooden, ivory or ebony domino sets for their elegance and feel. Some set manufacturers have also offered a wide range of different materials for their domino sets, including marble, granite and soapstone.