Finding the Third Proportional to 17,286 and 18,726

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   17,286 : 18,726 = 18,726 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   17,286/18,726 = 18,726/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   17,286x = 18,726 × 18,726
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   17,286x = 350,663,076
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 350,663,076/17,286
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 20,285.96