Finding the Third Proportional to 12,728 and 16,059

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   12,728 : 16,059 = 16,059 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   12,728/16,059 = 16,059/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   12,728x = 16,059 × 16,059
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   12,728x = 257,891,481
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 257,891,481/12,728
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 20,261.74