The word domino is used to describe a small, rectangular block of a material such as wood or bone that is used as a gaming object. Dominoes may be made of other materials, such as ceramic clay, frosted glass or even ice. These pieces are marked on one side with a pattern of dots, called pips, that match those on a die. The other side of the piece is blank or slightly textured to prevent it from sticking to other dominoes when laid down. Players score points by laying dominoes end to end in a line and touching only the exposed ends of the pieces. These matching ends must total a number that is a multiple of five. This is commonly called “dominoing.” Larger sets, such as double-nine, are also available, but they are seldom seen in retail stores because identifying all the possible combinations of ends would require too much time.
The power of the domino effect is a fascinating phenomenon. When a chain reaction of dominoes starts, the topmost domino has inertia, a tendency to resist motion when there is no outside force acting on it. A slight nudge is needed to overcome this inertia, and once it does, the potential energy of the domino is unleashed. This is what causes the subsequent dominoes to fall.
Dominoes are often used in domino shows, where builders construct incredibly complex and imaginative domino effects or reactions before an audience of fans. They can include massive lines of thousands of dominoes, set up in careful sequence, all toppled with the nudge of just one. Dominoes are also a staple of Rube Goldberg machines.
In addition to playing domino games, the game can be used to teach students the concept of sequencing and the importance of completing a task in a timely manner. The process of setting up a domino chain also helps students learn about the importance of working together as a team to achieve a common goal.
For businesses, Domino can provide a platform for integrating applications and processes. This can help increase efficiency and reduce costs by enabling employees to work with the data they need. The solution can be deployed as a fully managed cloud service or in an on-premises deployment.
Domino’s founder, Tom Monaghan, grew his pizza restaurant business from a single store in Ypsilanti to more than 200 locations by 1978. Monaghan’s secret was focusing on customer satisfaction. He put an emphasis on listening to customers and delivering a quality product quickly. As a result, his company remained at the forefront of fast-food delivery and earned a reputation for its quick service. Domino’s continued to build on its success by establishing locations near college campuses, as this helped the company reach the core demographic of young consumers. This marketing strategy was an example of Domino’s commitment to its core values. In the years that followed, other companies have copied its model of concentrating on a specific market segment and providing a consistent quality experience.