Finding the Third Proportional to 17,171 and 25,997

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   17,171 : 25,997 = 25,997 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   17,171/25,997 = 25,997/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   17,171x = 25,997 × 25,997
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   17,171x = 675,844,009
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 675,844,009/17,171
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 39,359.62