Finding the Third Proportional to 17,538 and 26,488

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   17,538 : 26,488 = 26,488 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   17,538/26,488 = 26,488/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   17,538x = 26,488 × 26,488
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   17,538x = 701,614,144
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 701,614,144/17,538
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 40,005.37