Finding the Third Proportional to 12,432 and 14,142

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   12,432 : 14,142 = 14,142 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   12,432/14,142 = 14,142/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   12,432x = 14,142 × 14,142
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   12,432x = 199,996,164
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 199,996,164/12,432
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 16,087.21