Find max area of rectangle inside a right triangle.

Brown Arrow · Mar 20, 2011

Homework Statement

Find the area of the largest rectangle that can be inscribed in a right triangle with legs adjacent to the right angle of lengths 5cm and 12cm.
the two sides of the rectangle lie along the legs.

Homework Equations

N/a

The Attempt at a Solution

Handwritten diagram of a right triangle with a rectangle inscribed at the right angle, sides labelled 12 and 5, rectangle sides labelled x and y, and the leftover segments labelled 12-y and 5-x, with the proportion (5-x)/y = x/(12-y) written beside it.

tiny-tim · Mar 20, 2011

Hi Brown Arrow!

(pleeeeeeease don't post such wide pictures! :redface:

)

Brown Arrow said:

I don't get why he did the ratio …

he wanted an equation relating x and y, and he got it by comparing the two similar triangles

Brown Arrow · Mar 20, 2011

yea sorry about that could figure out how to shrink it :redface:

SammyS · Mar 20, 2011

Now solve the ratio equation for x or y & plug the result into the expression for area.

Find max area of rectangle inside a right triangle.

Homework Statement

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

Discussion

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