Domino is a game played with a set of small rectangular blocks, each divided into two square halves, with numbers represented by spots or “pips” on each. Generally, the absence of spots (zero) is represented by a line across the center. Typically, dominoes are made of a material such as wood or plastic and come in several different colors. The most common are white dominoes with black pips and black dominoes with white pips.
Each player in turn plays one domino, positioning it on the table so that its end is touching or adjacent to either of two ends of an existing domino chain, which gradually increases in length as other players play their tiles. If a player cannot play a domino, that player “knocks” or raps the table and play passes to the next player. The winner is the player who reaches the end of his or her domino chain first or who has the fewest total pips remaining on their remaining tiles.
When a domino is slammed against the end of its track, it creates a pulse that moves at a constant speed without losing energy as it travels down the track, just like nerve impulses travel at a constant rate down an axon. The momentum of the domino is transferred to the next domino, which then has an equal and opposite reaction that pushes it onto its track. This push continues in a domino effect until the entire sequence is complete.
Many artists use dominoes to make artwork. They can be arranged in straight lines, curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, stacked walls or 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. Artists often practice by laying out a design on a flat surface, such as paper, then carefully adding dominoes to create the desired structure. Artists also sometimes film a domino installation in slow motion, which allows them to see what is working and what is not.
For example, a domino can be slammed into a wall and have an opposite reaction that pushes it against a piece of furniture, or it can be slammed into ice and have a positive effect on the melting process. Dominoes can be used to represent a chain reaction, a system of interconnected events, or simply to illustrate how something works.
In addition to demonstrating how dominoes work, the Domino Project also shows how physics concepts can be applied to the real world using this simple model. For instance, a domino has inertia, which is the tendency of an object to resist motion when no outside force is exerted on it. But a tiny nudge can cause that object to tip over. This is because the potential energy stored in the first domino is now available to push on the next domino.
As more and more people opt for takeout and delivery rather than eating in traditional restaurants, Domino’s is well-positioned to capitalize on the shift toward these alternatives. This newfound freedom of choice allows Domino’s to offer a wide variety of food options that can be delivered quickly, including pizza.