Finding the Fourth Proportional to 42.72, 59.01 and 31.86

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   42.72 : 59.01 = 31.86 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   42.72/59.01 = 31.86/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   42.72x = 59.01 × 31.86
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   42.72x = 1,879.76
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 1,879.76/42.72
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 44.00