Finding the Third Proportional to 16,396 and 17,872

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   16,396 : 17,872 = 17,872 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   16,396/17,872 = 17,872/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   16,396x = 17,872 × 17,872
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   16,396x = 319,408,384
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 319,408,384/16,396
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 19,480.87