Dominoes are small, flat tiles with a unique pattern of pips that can be matched up together. When played with the right partners, dominoes can form chains that are long, intricate and beautiful. Dominoes have many uses in society and serve as a unifying force that bridges cultural and geographical boundaries. This game fosters camaraderie and helps people connect with one another, even in the midst of chaos and turmoil.
When preparing to create a domino installation, Hevesh begins by brainstorming images or words that she wants the dominoes to form. Then, she calculates how many dominoes are needed. For example, she might plan to create a line of dominoes 24 inches long with dominoes spaced 1 3/4 inches apart from one end to the other. She divides the number of dominoes into fractions to help her determine how many dominoes she will need for each section of the display.
After the dominoes are arranged, Hevesh tests them to make sure they will fall into place properly. She then makes a sketch of what she wants the finished project to look like. She also decides how she will arrange the dominoes and what type of pattern she will create. Her designs might include grids that form pictures, walls or 3-D structures such as towers or pyramids.
During gameplay, players place their dominoes on the table in a line, called a “line of play.” The open ends of the dominoes are then matched with other dominoes in order to form chains that build up and grow longer. Some games may require that the player who plays a tile place it at the start of the line, while others allow the first play to be determined by other means.
The rules of domino vary widely and are based on the game, but in general a player will draw a domino from the stock, which will then be used to determine his or her seating arrangement at the table. The player who draws the domino with the highest pips will have first choice of seats, or will be designated as the setter, downer, or leader, depending on the rules of the specific game being played.
Most domino sets have the same number of pips on each end, but some are extended by adding additional ends with more pips. These enlarged dominoes are called “extendibles.” They can be added to the original set, making it possible for a player to make a longer chain with more than four pieces.
The reason that a single domino can knock over so many other tiles is due to the simple physics of gravity and inertia. The initial domino is able to hold itself up as it rests on the edge of the table, but once it reaches its tipping point, the weight of all of those subsequent dominoes causes it to fall. The same principle holds true for other objects, such as buildings or cars.