A domino is a small rectangular block, usually made of wood or plastic, with a single face divided into two square halves. The halves are molded or drilled with dots that correspond to numbers ranging from one through six (or blank, for zero). There are many different games played with dominoes, each with its own set of rules and scoring system.
Dominoes can be used to build straight or curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, or 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. Some designers use them to create art that is as beautiful as it is functional, like this rainbow spiral created by Lily Hevesh using 12,000 dominoes.
Whether you’re a domino newbie or an expert, it’s important to understand how the pieces fit together. To do this, you need to know what each domino is called and what its function is.
The most common dominoes are double-six tiles with the same number on both ends, but they may also have a number and a blank. There are seven of these in a standard set, and 28 total dominoes are necessary for most games. Larger sets are available, but these tend to be expensive and not widely used.
In addition to being fun, domino is a great educational tool. It helps develop motor skills as well as spatial awareness and counting. It also teaches students the importance of taking turns and following the rules.
When a domino falls, most of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy, which is transferred from the first domino to the next, knocking it over and providing the push needed for all of the others to fall in sequence. This chain reaction continues until all of the dominoes have fallen.
There are many different games that can be played with dominoes, but the most popular and simple is a game for two players, known as a basic double-six set. Each player draws seven dominoes from the stock or boneyard, and lays them down in a line or angular pattern according to the rules of the game. Each player tries to empty his hand before his opponent does.
To win a game of domino, a player must have no more than four dominoes in his hand at the end of his turn. If he has more, he must “block” his opponents so they cannot make any play, and scores are based on the number of dots remaining in the losing player’s hands.
A domino designer is someone who designs a layout for a specific installation, such as a path or shape, using a computer program or drawing by hand. Designers must consider the materials they will be working with, as well as their intended purpose, and calculate how many dominoes are required for their design. This includes creating a model of the piece that shows how it will be built and how the dominoes will interact with each other when it is in place.