Finding the Third Proportional to 13,538 and 21,043

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   13,538 : 21,043 = 21,043 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   13,538/21,043 = 21,043/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   13,538x = 21,043 × 21,043
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   13,538x = 442,807,849
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 442,807,849/13,538
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 32,708.51