Dominoes are toys that many children enjoy playing with by lining them up in long rows and then knocking them over. They can also be used to make artistic designs, such as the rainbow spiral shown in this article. Some adults even use dominoes in strategy games and to teach mathematics. Regardless of how you use them, the simple action of a single domino tipping over another, then many others, leads to a chain reaction with sometimes dramatic consequences. This is the concept behind the famous phrase, “the domino effect.” Today’s Wonder of the Day will help you understand how this works.
A domino is a tile with a number of spots or pips on one end, often twice as long as it is wide. The number of spots determines the value of a domino, which can be identified by looking at the side facing up or down.
Each domino in a set has a different number of spots or pips on each half. Each half of the domino face also has a color, which is designated by the number of dots or pips on that particular part. There are some exceptions, but most sets have a domino with a white background, a black background, or a color that is neither white nor black.
Historically, each domino was made from wood or another material such as clay, but today they are often manufactured using modern materials like plastic. A domino is typically rectangular, but it can be shaped into other shapes to suit the game being played.
When you play a domino game, the first player draws seven dominoes for their hand and then begins to play by drawing any domino from their hand that they wish to start the game with. The remaining dominoes are then placed face down, forming the boneyard, where they may be drawn from in case a player cannot play from their hand.
The second player then plays a domino from their hand, and the game continues until either one player wins by playing all of their dominoes or the players can’t find any more dominoes to play. As each domino is tipped over, much of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy—the energy of motion—and that energy travels to the next domino, pushing it down. This continues until all the dominoes in the line have fallen.
When you’re writing a story, the process of plotting can be compared to building a domino chain. You may write your manuscript off the cuff or work with a detailed outline, but it all comes down to one simple question: What will happen next? Thinking about the domino effect can help you answer that question in a way that will keep readers engaged. Just don’t try to tip over fifty thousand individual dominoes at once—that would be tedious! Instead, take your time to consider what will happen in each scene, then create a sequence of events that build upon each other in an exciting way.