Finding the Third Proportional to 144,538 and 157,426

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   144,538 : 157,426 = 157,426 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   144,538/157,426 = 157,426/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   144,538x = 157,426 × 157,426
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   144,538x = 24,782,945,476
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,782,945,476/144,538
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 171,463.18