A domino is a small, flat rectangular block used in gaming and other purposes. It is sometimes called a “piece,” “bone,” “man,” or “card.” They are commonly twice as long as they are wide, making them easier to stack after use.
The back of a domino is blank or has a common design, while the face bears identifying marks or pips. The pips are either marked with a number or are not, depending on the variant. The numbers range from six pips on double-six tiles to none or blank on all the others.
Dominoes are made of wood, bone, plastic, or other rigid materials and are available in different sizes. They are sometimes sold individually or as sets.
They are a popular and versatile type of gaming piece that can be found in a variety of games. Some of these include traditional blocking and scoring games, as well as games that have a more complicated character, such as solitaire or trick-taking.
Some games are designed to be played with a specific domino set, while others use any of the several types of dominoes that are available. The most common set consists of 28 tiles, but larger ones are also available.
These tile-based games are often referred to as the “domino family.” They may be played by two people or by many players, and they can be used in many variations.
In a traditional European domino game, the goal is to match a number on the next tile to the corresponding number on an adjacent one. There are many versions of this game, including matador, where the objective is not to match an adjacent domino but to make the sum of its open-end pips total seven, and muggins, where the goal is to make the sum of the pips on all four of the dominos’ open ends a multiple of five.
The game originated in Europe and was first brought to England by French prisoners-of-war during the 1700s. It was then spread worldwide.
Some of the earliest dominoes are made with ebony blacks and ivory faces, while others are decorated with silver, gold, or other materials. In the United States, however, most dominoes are made of red or green wood, and some may be painted.
In addition to being an entertaining game, dominoes are also a good way to learn about physics. A domino only needs to be tipped slightly before gravity takes over and pulls it down.
As it falls, energy is transmitted from the first domino to the next until the last domino is knocked over. This process is known as the domino effect.
This happens because the potential energy in a domino’s center of gravity is quite high. This means that it doesn’t take much of an impact to tip the first domino over and start the process of a domino cascade.
Using the domino effect as a strategy for prioritizing your work is a powerful tool. It can help you focus on the most important tasks and make sure that they get completed. Similarly, the domino effect can be used in your personal life to create new habits that are aligned with your goals and identity.