Finding the Third Proportional to 172.31 and 186.56

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   172.31 : 186.56 = 186.56 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   172.31/186.56 = 186.56/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   172.31x = 186.56 × 186.56
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   172.31x = 34,805.57
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 34,805.57/172.31
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 201.99