A domino is a small wooden or plastic block marked with dots that resemble dice. It is used for playing games that involve laying tiles in line and then knocking them over. This game can be simple or complex, with straight lines, curved lines that form pictures when they fall, or 3D structures like towers and pyramids. People also use dominoes to create designs in art.
Domino has a number of meanings in English, including “a masterful ruler” and “a person who keeps an eye on advantageous opportunities.” A domino can be a man or a woman, young or old. A domino’s ties to an ancient blocking game encourage it to keep one move ahead of its competitors, but a wise Domino recognizes the gravity of every action and takes steps to avoid disaster.
As the first domino falls, much of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy, the energy of motion (see Converting Energy). Some of that energy is transmitted to the next domino, providing the push needed to knock it over. The process continues until all of the dominoes have fallen.
Lily Hevesh is a 20-year-old who has been making mind-blowing domino setups since she was 9. Hevesh uses her YouTube channel, Hevesh5, to share her creations with the world. Her videos have earned her millions of subscribers, and she’s even been asked to create some spectacular domino sets for movies and events.
When Hevesh begins a new domino design, she considers the theme or purpose of the installation and brainstorms images that might work with it. Then, she tests each section of the design individually to make sure it works. This allows her to quickly and accurately correct any sections that might not work. Finally, Hevesh puts all of the individual sections together to make the finished design.
While it is possible to play games with only the classic 28-tile set, many players prefer to use larger sets. These larger sets have more dominoes, allowing for greater complexity and more players. There are several different types of dominoes, but the most popular are double-twelve and double-nine sets. Each of these extends the range of unique combinations of ends by three, adding nine more pips to the maximum value for each end.
When a domino is played, the pips on its two outer sides are visible to the player and may show any number from six to none. These are known as its ranks or weights. The sum of the ranks or weights of a domino is its value, and this is how it is distinguished from other dominoes in a chain.