Finding the Fourth Proportional to 51.98, 71.49 and 42.03

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   51.98 : 71.49 = 42.03 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   51.98/71.49 = 42.03/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   51.98x = 71.49 × 42.03
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   51.98x = 3,004.72
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 3,004.72/51.98
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 57.81