Finding the Third Proportional to 178 and 196.75

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   178 : 196.75 = 196.75 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   178/196.75 = 196.75/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   178x = 196.75 × 196.75
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   178x = 38,710.56
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 38,710.56/178
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 217.48