Domino

Exploration
Nirantar Yakthumba

Definition of Problem and Selection of Variables

A Domino is a small rectangular tile that is used generally for board games but is also widely used by putting them in a line and
toppling the first one in the series which by effect impacts the second domino and the final cause of the toppling leads to a
consecutive collapse of the domino line. This investigation explores the relationship between the number of dominos placed in a
linear series and the time taken for the series to collapse completely.

The diagram above shows the placement of the dominoes with the distance between each as 2 cm while each consecutive domino is
labelled as ! , where i represents the i-th domino.

The dependent variable in the investigation is the time taken for the series to collapse completely, defined as T. The independent
variable in the investigation is the number of dominoes placed in the series, defined as N. The controlled variables in the relationship
are the following:

1. The distance between each domino in the series is a constant 2 .
2. The placing pattern of the series is maintained linear.
3. Dominoes are made of the same material and have the same dimensions; this is not changed at any point of the experiment.
4. The medium on which the dominoes are placed on is not changed.

The dependent variable, the total time T, is defined as the time taken for the whole series to collapse and it is always measured from
the time the first domino is touched (force is provided so that it can fall and start the collapse of the series) until the entire series
collapses completely. It is measured using a stopwatch in seconds (s) and the stopwatch has a minimum count of 0.01 s. To reduce
random error, the total time taken T is measure thrice for each given number of dominoes and the final value for T is taken as the
average (mean) defined as of the three measures defined as ! , ! , ! . The recording of the time using the stop-watch requires team
coordination where one person will give the force to topple the first domino and start the chain effect while another starts the
stopwatch as soon as the first person applies the force and contact occurs and stops the stopwatch as soon as possible when the
chain collapses completely and the last domino in the series makes contact with the medium of placement (the floor).

The dependent variable, the number of dominoes in the series N, is defined as the number of dominoes placed in the series and is the
cumulative count from the first domino ! to the i-th domino ! in the series as previously defined through the diagram. A meter
stick is used to place the dominoes in order with the distance between each domino defined previously as 2 cm; the meter stick has
an uncertainty of 0.5 cm. Obviously, N has no physical unit.

Controlling Variables

The controlled variables mentioned in the previous section are maintained throughout the experiment with the help of the f:

1. The distance between each domino is strictly kept 2 cm by the meter stick previously mentioned. The distance is measured
from the higher end of the dominos width till the lower end of the width of the domino that follows as illustrated in the
diagram. This distance is measure between the dominoes in each repetition due to the collapse so that the series is
reconstructed as identical to the perfect linear arrangement as possible.
2. The series pattern in which the dominoes are placed in is maintained strictly linear or straight by the meter stick itself; the
stick is placed length-wise parallel to the floor and width-wise perpendicular between two consecutive dominoes, this
maintains that each domino is aligned width-wise perpendicular and length-wise parallel to the meter-stick thereby
ensuring that the dominoes are parallel to each other length-wise and width-wise thus giving us a linear combination of
dominoes with very little error in its arrangement. This straightness of the line is maintained after each collapse of the
series to maintain a linear arrangement as accurate as possible.
3. The constancy of the type (refer to what type is defined as in the previous section) of domino used is easy to maintain, it
need not be explained.
4. The constancy of the medium used to place the series on for the exploration is easy to maintain, it need not be explained.
5. The force used to topple the first domino and start the chain is maintained as the minimum force required in toppling a
domino. While the basis of this control or the attempt of it is largely unreliable as there is no physical evidence of the
minimum force when applied, it is the best possible to apply in the situation. A member in the investigation group topples
the first domino by hand with the least force possible.
Domino Exploration
Nirantar Yakthumba

Development of the Method for Collection of Data

The method for the collection of data will involve the above-mentioned procedure with intervals of 5 dominos for the independent
variable the number of dominoes in the series N, the first data collection of N is taken with 5 dominoes and this is increased in turn
by 5 dominoes for each collection until the time taken for 25 dominoes are measured, thus 5 measurements through N are taken in
this experiment. As previously defined, three measurements of the time taken for the series to collapse T are taken for each N in this
exploration and finally the mean of the three measurements of T is used to graph against each N. There will be 5 data points on the
graph of the number of dominoes in the series N versus the time taken for the series to collapse T. This allows a large amount of data
to be collected, sufficient enough to reduce random error in the investigation for more accurate results and judging by the
methodology of the investigation there shouldnt be any systematic error in the experiment. The method of investigation ensures no
danger to the investigators; it is a safe procedure. The following table displays the raw data:


Order Number N ! / ! / ! /
1 5 0.29 0.30 0.27
2 10 0.35 0.37 0.38
3 15 0.40 0.42 0.45
4 20 0.51 0.57 0.55
5 25 0.68 0.70 0.67