The domino effect is the ability of a small action to create a chain reaction. It’s the reason a single domino can knock down thousands of others, and it’s also the basis for a strategy that can help you succeed in a variety of different areas.
Dominos are a game played with rectangular tiles containing numbers that vary from 0 to 6. These tiles are sometimes called bones, cards, tiles, stones, spinners, or tickets. They’re available in a wide range of sets, but the most popular are double six and double nine, with 28 and 55 tiles, respectively.
They can be crafted from various materials, including bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (MOP), ivory, and dark hardwoods such as ebony, with contrasting black or white pips. European-style dominoes are often made from a combination of these materials; some also feature a top half in MOP or bone, and a lower half in a more traditional wood.
These sets often have a heavier feel than their polymer counterparts. They also tend to cost more, but the quality of these types of pieces is often much higher and the craftsmanship better.
Dominoes can be used for a variety of different games, from layout to blocking to scoring. In a game of layout, players lay dominoes on a table to form a specific shape. They can either be laid in a straight line or curved, and players “knock” or “rap” the tiles to move them from one place to another.
Traditionally, laying out dominoes was a game of skill and strategy. Players often lined up their pieces in a way that they would be able to reach the most numbers when they “knocked” them down. Other variations of the game included blocking or scoring, in which the players tried to get as many dominoes as possible on the table.
When a player can’t lay a domino, the next player can “chip” it out and play a new domino to try to lay down a matching set. The game is usually stopped when a player has accumulated a certain number of chips, though some versions require that both players chip out before the last one can be played.
If you’ve ever seen a domino rally, you may have wondered why the same sequence of dominoes keeps repeating. But it’s not just chance: Gravity plays a big role in the domino effect, as does friction.
A domino falls because its potential energy has been stored based on its position, and when it falls, that energy is converted into kinetic energy. When this happens, it makes a domino’s bottom edge slip and slide against the ground they’re on, creating friction.
Friction can also slow down a domino’s fall, which in turn reduces its kinetic energy and causes it to topple over. This is why you need to be careful when playing with dominoes on polished floors, like those found in many restaurants and stores.
The domino effect can be a powerful tool to help you focus your time and effort on the things that will bring you the most success in the long run. It can be challenging to pick the right tasks, but if you pick the best ones, you’ll be able to achieve more in less time.