Finding the Third Proportional to 144.50 and 159.50

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   144.50 : 159.50 = 159.50 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   144.50/159.50 = 159.50/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   144.50x = 159.50 × 159.50
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   144.50x = 25,440.25
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 25,440.25/144.50
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 176.06