Finding the Third Proportional to 1,042 and 1,978

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   1,042 : 1,978 = 1,978 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   1,042/1,978 = 1,978/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   1,042x = 1,978 × 1,978
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   1,042x = 3,912,484
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 3,912,484/1,042
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 3,754.78