Finding the Third Proportional to 16,266 and 17,742

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   16,266 : 17,742 = 17,742 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   16,266/17,742 = 17,742/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   16,266x = 17,742 × 17,742
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   16,266x = 314,778,564
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 314,778,564/16,266
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 19,351.93