设经过$ t $秒,$\triangle AMN$的面积等于矩形$ABCD$面积的$\frac{1}{9}。$
矩形$ABCD$的面积为$AB \times BC = 3 \times 6 = 18 \, cm^2,$则$\triangle AMN$的面积需为$18 \times \frac{1}{9} = 2 \, cm^2。$
由题意可知,动点$M$的速度为$1 \, cm/s,$则$AM = t \, cm;$动点$N$的速度为$2 \, cm/s,$则$DN = 2t \, cm,$因为$AD = BC = 6 \, cm,$所以$AN = AD - DN = 6 - 2t \, cm。$
由于$\angle A = 90^\circ,$所以$\triangle AMN$为直角三角形,其面积公式为$\frac{1}{2} \times AM \times AN。$根据题意可列方程:
$\frac{1}{2} \times t \times (6 - 2t) = 2$
化简方程:
$\frac{t(6 - 2t)}{2} = 2 \implies t(6 - 2t) = 4 \implies 6t - 2t^2 = 4 \implies t^2 - 3t + 2 = 0$
解方程$t^2 - 3t + 2 = 0,$可得$(t - 1)(t - 2) = 0,$解得$t = 1$或$t = 2。$
检验:当$t = 1$时,$AM = 1 \, cm,$$AN = 6 - 2 \times 1 = 4 \, cm,$均未超过矩形边长;当$t = 2$时,$AM = 2 \, cm,$$AN = 6 - 2 \times 2 = 2 \, cm,$也均未超过矩形边长,所以$t = 1$和$t = 2$均符合题意。
答:经过$1$秒或$2$秒。