Finding the Fourth Proportional to 3,973.25, 5,473.58 and 2,978.17

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   3,973.25 : 5,473.58 = 2,978.17 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   3,973.25/5,473.58 = 2,978.17/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   3,973.25x = 5,473.58 × 2,978.17
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   3,973.25x = 16,301,223.17
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 16,301,223.17/3,973.25
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 4,102.74