Finding the Fourth Proportional to 42.00, 62.98 and 16.31

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   42.00 : 62.98 = 16.31 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   42.00/62.98 = 16.31/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   42.00x = 62.98 × 16.31
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   42.00x = 1,026.93
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 1,026.93/42.00
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 24.45