Finding the Third Proportional to 12,986 and 20,146

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   12,986 : 20,146 = 20,146 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   12,986/20,146 = 20,146/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   12,986x = 20,146 × 20,146
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   12,986x = 405,861,316
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 405,861,316/12,986
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 31,253.76