Finding the Third Proportional to 132 and 144.50

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   132 : 144.50 = 144.50 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   132/144.50 = 144.50/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   132x = 144.50 × 144.50
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   132x = 20,880.25
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 20,880.25/132
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 158.18