Finding the Third Proportional to 178.31 and 260.72

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   178.31 : 260.72 = 260.72 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   178.31/260.72 = 260.72/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   178.31x = 260.72 × 260.72
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   178.31x = 67,974.27
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 67,974.27/178.31
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 381.21