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Dominoes, the game of lining up and knocking down black and white rectangular tiles. They are used in blocking and scoring games, as well as in various other variations. They are also popular as novelty items and prizes.
The origin of dominoes is unclear, but it may be related to a long hooded cloak worn by a priest over his surplice at masquerades. The word domino first appeared in French shortly after 1750 and may have derived from the Italian domini, meaning a cape.
In Europe, dominoes are usually made of silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or dark hardwoods with contrasting black or white pips. Some are carved from wood or plastics; some are made from metals, such as brass and pewter, or ceramic clay.
Other materials, such as glass or frosted crystal are sometimes used instead of ceramic. These can be more expensive and less durable than other materials, but can make for a more striking and unique game.
There are several types of domino sets commercially available, including double six (28 tiles) and double nine (55 tiles). A double-six set is the most common and commonly used for playing.
A domino set contains all of the pieces needed to play a game of dominoes. The most basic game involves choosing seven dominoes from the set and playing them in pairs. Players score a point for each time that a tile matches one of the previously played ones. A double-six set can be used with either a two- or four-player game, and a larger set is also available for more complicated games.
Another game that involves a domino set is “5s-and-3s”. It requires a double-six set and a series of seven tiles. Each player picks a tile and plays it by attaching it to one of the ends that has already been played. The tile must match the number of pips of the previously played one in order to be counted as a matching tile.
This game can be played with any domino set, but a double-six set is the most common. The same rules apply to other sets, and the only difference is that in the case of a two-player game, the set contains eight tiles compared to four in the case of a four-player game.
The chain reaction created by each domino’s fall is called the domino effect. It is the reason that a single domino can knock over several others.
There are a few things that need to happen for this to occur, and one of them is gravity. Standing a domino upright gives it potential energy, which can be stored. When the domino falls, much of that stored energy is converted into kinetic energy, which is what makes it move.
According to Stephen Morris, a professor of physics at the University of Toronto, one of the main things that happens is that the dominoes are lifted against the pull of gravity. This forces the domino to store energy, and when the domino falls it uses that energy to knock down the next domino in the chain.
