Dominoes are a set of 28 pieces, or tiles, that is typically played by two to four players. The tiles are shuffled face down and form the stock or boneyard; each player draws seven tiles, which are then placed on-edge before play.
Domino sets are made from many different materials, including woods such as ash or oak, metals like brass or pewter, ceramic clay, or even frosted glass or crystal. They are usually heavier and more expensive than polymer dominoes, but have the advantage of being unique and beautiful.
Stacking Dominoes
Children often use dominoes to play games where they place them in long rows and then knock them over. These games can be very complex and require a great deal of planning.
The first domino that falls causes potential energy to convert to kinetic energy, the energy of motion (see Converting Energy). This energy is transmitted from domino to domino as they fall.
When this happens, the momentum of the falling domino causes a domino to tip over and so on and so forth. This is called the domino effect.
Using the Domino Effect
In business, the domino effect can mean that one small change leads to a cascade of new behavior, which may then lead to a larger change, and so on. For example, a person might begin to make their bed each morning and this changes the way they look at themselves as well as other areas of their life.
This is a common example of the domino effect, but there are also more subtle examples of it. In the health care field, a patient might have an infection in the hospital but this isn’t treated properly by the medical professional who is treating them. In this case, the domino effect can cause a chain reaction that can have disastrous consequences.
Developing Beliefs
When someone is creating a new set of beliefs, they might decide to go against what they’ve always believed about themselves. For example, if someone decides to stop smoking, they might start eating healthier and exercising. These behaviors can be difficult to maintain for some people, but they can be a huge help in breaking old habits and forming new ones.
The Domino Effect can also be used as a tool to prioritize tasks. When you have a number of things to do, it can be hard to determine which tasks are the most important and which ones are just filler. This strategy can help you prioritize the most crucial tasks while avoiding the temptation to waste time on frivolous items.
A simple way to do this is to start with the biggest task and work your way down. Then, when you’ve completed that task, move onto the next one. This way, you can get more done and still have a chance of meeting your deadline.
Whether you’re writing a novel or a short story, the domino effect can be a useful technique to keep in mind when planning out your plot. It will help you answer the question, “What happens next?” in a compelling way.