Finding the Fourth Proportional to 5,978.40, 8,972.24 and 4,142.38

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   5,978.40 : 8,972.24 = 4,142.38 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   5,978.40/8,972.24 = 4,142.38/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   5,978.40x = 8,972.24 × 4,142.38
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   5,978.40x = 37,166,427.53
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 37,166,427.53/5,978.40
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 6,216.79