Dominoes can be used to play many different games. Some games use a single domino, while others require multiple dominoes to be played. The rules of the game will determine how many dominoes are played at one time, and what is the best way to arrange them on the table. Some of the most popular domino games involve laying lines of dominoes down in a pattern, and some of these patterns are very complicated.

The word domino may also be used to refer to a system of interlocking or linked events, such as the falling of one brick on top of another, or the collapse of a building after a fire or natural disaster. It can also be used to describe a chain reaction in science, such as a battery-operated flashlight that illuminates a nearby candle and causes it to ignite.

In addition to being fun to play, domino is a great educational tool for teaching math and social skills. For example, a student struggling in algebra could use a set of dominoes to practice their equations. Then, when the class is ready to move on to geometry, the same process can be repeated with a new set of tiles to help them understand how the shapes fit together.

Hevesh, who has created numerous mind-blowing domino installations, follows a version of the engineering-design process when creating her creations. First, she considers the theme or purpose of the piece. Then she brainstorms images or words that could be used to represent it. Finally, she draws up plans for how the piece will work, and creates test versions to make sure they function properly.

Most Western domino games for two or more players are block-and-draw games. In a block-and-draw game, dominoes are shuffled and placed in a central location on the table, called the stock or boneyard. The player drawing the highest domino takes the lead and plays the heaviest tile on his turn. In some games, the number of tiles a player has in his hand is added to his score at the end of the game. If a player has no more tiles that match the value of the domino being played, he or she draws from the stock until he or she has a tile to play.

As the domino falls, much of its potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, and some of this energy is transferred to the next domino. This energy provides the push that causes it to fall over, and then to the rest of the dominoes in the line, causing them to fall. This continues until the last domino falls.

A line of dominoes that has been matched and played is called the line of play. When playing this type of game, the open ends of the dominoes must match. Typically, the line of play is a straight line, but it can be curved or angular. There are basic instructions listed here under Line of Play for this type of domino game.