Domino (also dominoes) are a type of flat thumb-sized rectangular block, with one side bearing an arrangement of dots or pips and the other blank. Twenty-eight such pieces form a complete set. Dominoes may be played in a variety of ways, including blocking and scoring games, putting them down in straight or curved lines, or creating 3D structures such as towers. Some of these creations are works of art in themselves, and others can be used to tell a story or convey a message.
The term domino is also used for a particular chain of events that starts with a small action and leads to larger-and sometimes catastrophic-consequences. This concept gives rise to the phrase “domino effect,” which has been used to describe everything from bank takeovers to natural disasters.
When we think of dominoes, we probably imagine a line of them stacked on end, ready to fall when the first one is tipped over. This is the basic idea behind many domino games, which can be very complex and involve a great deal of strategy. Stacking dominoes on end in long lines allows players to create intricate and beautiful designs. Some people even use dominoes to tell a story or convey a theme.
While most of us are familiar with the simple game of dominoes, few realize that these blocks are more powerful than we think. A 1983 study by University of British Columbia physicist Lorne Whitehead found that a domino can knock down objects about one-and-a-half times its size. Whitehead’s experiment was replicated by a team from the University of Toronto in 2011. They used 13 dominoes and a ball rolling down an inclined plane.
The study found that the distance the dominoes travelled depended on the amount of force applied to each domino, and the direction of travel. A greater force pushed on the first domino caused it to move faster and farther than the next domino, which in turn pushed harder on the next domino, and so on. This pattern continued until the last domino reached its target, which was a ball more than three feet away.
Lily Hevesh began playing with dominoes as a child. Her grandparents had a classic 28-pack, and she loved to set them up in straight or curved lines and then flick the first domino. She now makes a living as a professional domino artist, creating spectacular setups for movies, TV shows, and events like a recent album launch for Katy Perry.
Hevesh’s work is a lesson in the power of inertia and friction. Each domino has a certain amount of potential energy, which is stored in its shape and position. This energy is wasted if no external forces are acting on the domino, but a little nudge is all it takes to push it past its tipping point.