Dominoes may seem like just fun and games. But understanding how they topple? That’s some serious science.
“It’s a problem that is so natural. Everybody plays with dominoes,” says David Cantor. He’s a researcher at Polytechnique Montréal in Quebec, Canada. He has a background in civil engineering. So Cantor set out to study the blocks. Domino games are more fun with a buddy. Research on them would be too, Cantor thought. So he teamed up with a friend. That physicist, Kajetan Wojtacki, works at the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research. It’s part of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw.
The pair used a computer to model a row of dominoes collapsing. It’s a chain reaction: Each falling domino topples into the next, then the next and so on. And the speed of that cascade depends on friction, they learned. The friction happens in two places, the pair report in the June Physical Review Applied. The dominoes rub together as they collide. They also slide along the surface on which they sit.
Their computer model showed how best to get a speedy collapse. The fastest fall took place when they spaced slippery dominoes close together on a rough surface, such as felt. Slicker tiles mean less friction between dominoes. And that means less energy will be lost as they topple against each other. Sitting on a high-friction surface means the tiles don’t slide too far backward as they fall. Such backsliding would otherwise slow the cascading chain reaction.
In some model runs, the chain reaction stopped short. For instance, some dominoes spaced far apart on a slippery surface backslid so much that they never hit each other.
The domino duo used math to describe these computer-simulated outcomes. They came up with an equation that predicts the speed of collapse under different conditions. Its predictions matched results of previous experiments, too. Turns out, there’s serious science behind the satisfying spectacle. chain reaction: An event that once started continues to keep itself going. This sets up a self-sustaining process.
civil engineer: An engineer who creates buildings, tunnels, water systems and other large projects that improve everyday life.
computer model: A program that runs on a computer that creates a model, or simulation, of a real-world feature, phenomenon or event.
engineering: The field of research that uses math and science to solve practical problems.
equation: In mathematics, the statement that two quantities are equal. In geometry, equations are often used to determine the shape of a curve or surface.
friction: The resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over or through another material (such as a fluid or a gas). Friction generally causes a heating, which can damage a surface of some material as it rubs against another.
fundamental: Something that is basic or serves as the foundation for another thing or idea.
physical: (adj.) A term for things that exist in the real world, as opposed to in memories or the imagination. It can also refer to properties of materials that are due to their size and non-chemical interactions (such as when one block slams with force into another). (in biology and medicine) The term can refer to the body, as in a physical exam or physical activity.
physics: The scientific study of the nature and properties of matter and energy. Classical physics is an explanation of the nature and properties of matter and energy that relies on descriptions such as Newton’s laws of motion. Quantum physics, a field of study that emerged later, is a more accurate way of explaining the motions and behavior of matter. A scientist who works in such areas is known as a physicist.
simulate: (in computing) To try and imitate the conditions, functions or appearance of something. Computer programs that do this are referred to as simulations.
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