A domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block that has either one end marked with numbers or blank and the other end with dots resembling those on dice. The numbers on a domino can range from six to none. The value of a domino is usually determined by the number of dots on each end and is called its rank or weight. The highest ranked domino is called a double-six, and the lowest ranked domino is a blank or no-dot domino. Dominoes can be played in a variety of games. They are also used to create art, with artists creating lines that form pictures when they fall. Often these are displayed in museums.
Dominoes are normally stacked on each other to form rows, though some games use them in a more chaotic fashion. The top of each domino is rounded to prevent them from sliding off the table. When a domino is touched, it triggers a chain reaction that causes each other domino to fall. This process is known as the domino effect, and it can cause a long line of dominoes to fall quickly.
The concept of the domino effect is also used in business and management. When a company achieves success, it can inspire other companies to follow suit and become successful as well. This is called the domino effect and it can have positive and negative effects depending on how a company manages the process.
Stephen Morris, a physicist, believes that dominoes are able to topple because of the force of gravity. He explains that when a domino is standing upright, it has potential energy, which is stored based on its position. However, when a domino falls, it releases this energy, which is converted into kinetic energy and pushes on the next domino.
When playing domino, players may place a tile next to an existing one with matching values on both ends, or they may play a double-sided domino. In the latter case, the points on both sides of the new tile are added together to determine a total value. The first player to reach this value is awarded points. This scoring is similar to that in a poker game.
In some domino games, the player must wait until another player can play a domino with values that match the exposed ends of the domino being placed. The player must continue to do this until all of their dominoes are used up or they can no longer play any more tiles.
When a player runs out of dominoes, they must take a piece from the boneyard (a pile of leftover dominoes) and place it on the domino line. The next person then plays a domino with matching values on both ends and continues this pattern until all of the players are out of dominoes or they cannot continue to match values on both ends of the domino being played.
Domino art can be very intricate. Artists may make curved lines or grids that form pictures when the dominoes fall, or they may build 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. Artists will often test a design on a smaller scale before working on the final piece to ensure it works properly. When a player is satisfied with the results, they will then start to work on the larger design.