What is Domino?
A domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block, the face of which is either blank or marked with a pattern of dots resembling those on dice. It is used in a game played by placing pieces edge to edge on a flat surface and then rolling a dice to see which piece must fall first (known as the set). The game can also be played with cards. When a domino falls, it generates a chain reaction that can carry other pieces over the edge and to the ground. A complete set of dominoes is usually 28 pieces.
Dominoes are an important part of the social life of many people, both children and adults. They can be used for a variety of purposes, from learning basic addition and subtraction to advancing social skills and building motor coordination. They can also serve as a way to relieve stress or anxiety and improve one’s mood. Dominoes can be purchased from toy stores and online, or can be made at home.
While most people think of dominoes as a form of entertainment, they can also be used to teach kids about geometry, time and other important concepts. For example, a child could use dominoes to construct a house or pyramid and then add doors and windows. A child can also use dominoes to make simple patterns and learn about fractions and decimals.
Lily Hevesh began playing with her grandparents’ classic 28-piece set at age 9. She quickly became obsessed, forming a curved or straight line and flicking the first domino to watch it fall, one after the next. Today, Hevesh is a professional domino artist who creates impressive setups for movies, TV shows and events. She also has a popular YouTube channel, where she demonstrates how to build spectacular structures using her favorite toy.
The word “domino” originated in France after 1750, although a similar sense existed in English and French earlier (especially in French, where it referred to a long, hooded cloak worn together with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade). A modern use of the term refers to any sort of chain reaction, including that produced by an initial action.
A major aspect of domino theory concerns momentum, which describes the tendency of an object to continue moving in the same direction unless impeded. Unlike inertia, momentum does not depend on the weight of an object or its distance from the rest of the system. Rather, it depends on the rate at which the object is moving and the energy exerted on the object by gravity. As a domino is moved, the momentum passes from the object to the surrounding material, and much of this energy is converted into kinetic energy. This energy pushes the next domino until it reaches its tipping point, when it converts back to potential energy and begins to slow down. At this point, the momentum passes to other dominoes in the same sequence until they also reach their tipping points and begin falling.