How to Plan a Domino Setup
A domino is a small, rectangular block of wood or plastic marked with dots resembling those on dice. Dominoes are used in a wide variety of games, both for entertainment and educational purposes. A game may involve matching the numbers on the dominoes to a scoring system, or the players can play against each other, blocking each other’s progress. A set of dominoes can also be used to teach children number recognition and counting.
Dominoes are usually twice as long as they are wide and can be stacked vertically, horizontally or diagonally. Each domino has a line in the middle that divides it visually into two squares, each with a different value of pips (small dots) on one side and none or blank on the other. The value of a domino is determined by the sum of the values of all the pips on each of its sides. The more pips a domino has, the higher its rank and value.
When a domino falls, much of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy, the energy that causes it to move. This energy travels to the next domino and provides the push needed for it to fall over. Then, that energy travels to the next domino and so on until all of the dominoes are knocked over.
If you have ever watched someone create a mind-blowing domino setup, you may have wondered how the person came up with such a plan. This process of planning is very similar to how an engineer would approach a project. The first step in a domino setup involves considering the theme or purpose of the installation. Then the designer brainstorms images or words that relate to that theme. The designer may even draw a diagram of the setup on a piece of paper to help guide their design.
As you begin to set up a domino layout, it is important to be sure that all of the dominoes are aligned in a row and are properly stacked together. You may want to make your layout a grid that forms pictures when they fall or build 3D structures like towers and pyramids. You will also need to determine how many dominoes you need for your design.
The word domino is derived from the Latin dominum, meaning “the eldest.” The first recorded use of the term to describe a chain of events was in a 1593 letter from an Italian cleric. Later, the word was adopted into French and English in the late 1700s.
Today, dominoes can be found in a wide range of materials, from wood to a variety of polymers. European-style dominoes have traditionally been made from bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or a dark hardwood such as ebony. These sets are typically more expensive than those made from polymer materials. However, some sets are also crafted from stone; marble, granite or soapstone; brass and pewter; frosted glass; and ceramic clay.