Editing Tangram (section)

{{short description|Dissection puzzle}}
{{Other uses}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
[[Image:Tangram set 00.jpg|thumb|300px|Like most modern sets, this wooden tangram is stored in the square configuration.]]
The '''tangram''' ({{zh|c=七巧板|p=qīqiǎobǎn|l=seven boards of skill}}) is a [[dissection puzzle]] consisting of seven flat polygons, called ''tans'', which are put together to form shapes. The objective is to replicate a pattern (given only an outline) generally found in a puzzle book using all seven pieces without overlap. Alternatively the ''tans'' can be used to create original minimalist designs that are either appreciated for their inherent aesthetic merits or as the basis for challenging others to replicate its outline. It is reputed to have been invented in [[China]] sometime around the late 18th century and then carried over to [[Americas|America]] and [[Europe]] by trading ships shortly after.{{sfnp|Slocum|2003|p=21}} It became very popular in Europe for a time, and then again during [[World War I]]. It is one of the most widely recognized dissection puzzles in the world and has been used for various purposes including amusement, art, and education.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Campillo-Robles |first1=Jose M. |last2=Alonso |first2=Ibon |last3=Gondra |first3=Ane |last4=Gondra |first4=Nerea |date=2022-09-01 |title=Calculation and measurement of center of mass: An all-in-one activity using Tangram puzzles |url=https://aapt.scitation.org/doi/10.1119/5.0061884 |journal=American Journal of Physics |volume=90 |issue=9 |pages=652 |doi=10.1119/5.0061884 |bibcode=2022AmJPh..90..652C |s2cid=251917733 |issn=0002-9505}}</ref>{{sfnp|Slocum|2001|p=9}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Manual of Play |last=Forbrush |first=William Byron |year=1914 |publisher=Jacobs |page=315 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FpoWAAAAIAAJ&q=%22The+Anchor+Puzzle%22&pg=PA315 |access-date=2010-10-13}}</ref>