Domino is a game in which players lay down dominoes one at a time, with each tile touching a preceding domino so that the chain develops into a snake-line. The game also includes other elements such as scoring, ties, and doubles. Players can use their tiles to create art, including grids that form pictures and walls as well as 3-D structures such as towers and pyramids. The word domino comes from the Latin, “domino,” which means lord or master. The word is often used in reference to the power of a king or queen, but it can be applied to any action that creates a domino effect.
There are a number of different types of dominoes available to purchase. The most common are the basic double-twelve set of 91 pieces and the double-nine set of 55 pieces. Other sets include double-six, double-15, and even double-21, although the latter is not generally used in regular play.
Despite their simple appearance, the dominoes can be extremely intricately arranged to create impressive pieces of artwork. For example, artist Hevesh Heinz creates spectacular displays of dominoes toppling over each other. Her largest designs take several nail-biting minutes to complete and can involve thousands of dominoes. She starts each project by brainstorming the images or words she wants to use, and then she plans out how she will arrange them.
She uses a domino board to sketch out her plan, and then she creates an additional drawing that shows how the tiles will fall when her design is completed. She then draws arrows to show the direction she would like the dominoes to go, and calculates how many of each type she will need.
While the majority of dominoes are played by two or more people, it is possible for one person to dominate. This is possible if the player has a double that is able to touch both ends of the previous domino, and if the next tile that he or she plays is a single.
Tie-breaking rules for domino games vary. Some games require that the first player to open the game draw new hands if no one holds a double; others allow the player with the heaviest domino, whether a double or a single, to begin play. Moreover, the winner of the last game may open the next game.
A teacher can assign an addition domino activity in which students use a random domino from the classroom set to solve an equation. Students can name the domino on its left side and write its matching numbers on a blank domino on their own or with a partner. For example, if the student chooses a domino with 2 on its left end and 4 on its right, they can name the equation as 2 + 4 = 6. The teacher can then ask the class to find another pair of equations on their own using other dominoes from the set.