Here's the Calculus approach.....this may have been answered elsewhere
Let the hypotenuse form the base
And since it's a right triangle, we have that the area = L1 *L2 / 2 where L1 and L2 are the legs
But, by the Pythagorean Theorem L2 = sqrt( 1 - L1^2)
And let L1 = x
So....the area is given by
A(x) = [x * sqrt( 1 - x^2 ] / 2 ....so ....taking the derivative, we have
A' (x) = (1/2) [ sqrt(1 - x^2) + x *(1/2) (1 - x^2)^(-1/2) (-2x)]
A' (x) = (1/2) [ (1 - x^2)^(1/2) - x^2(1 -x^2)^(-1/2)] set the derivative to 0
(1/2) [ (1 - x^2)^(1/2) - x^2(1 -x^2)^(-1/2)] = 0 multiply both sides by 2
[ (1 - x^2)^(1/2) - x^2(1 -x^2)^(-1/2)] = 0
[ 1 - x^2]^(-1/2) [ ( 1 - x^2 - x^2] = 0 multiply through by [ 1 - x^2]^(-1/2)
[1 - 2x^2] = 0
2x^2 = 1
x^2 = 1/2
x = 1/√2 = L1
And L2 = sqrt (1 - L1^2) = sqrt(1 - x^2) = sqrt(1 - 1/2) = sqrt(1/2) = 1/√2
So ....L1 = L2 and the max area = (1/2)L1* L2 = (1/2)(1/√2)(1/√2) = 1/4 m^2
We could take the second derivative to prove this is a max., but it's messy.....much better to graph the area function and note where the max occurs.....here it is :
https://www.desmos.com/calculator/hmmyq9o0io
Note that when x = L1 = L2 = 1/√2 the area is maximized at 1/4 m^2
BTW.....the geometric approach which I presented above seems way more straightforward...!!!
