Finding the Third Proportional to 178,456 and 261,726

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   178,456 : 261,726 = 261,726 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   178,456/261,726 = 261,726/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   178,456x = 261,726 × 261,726
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   178,456x = 68,500,499,076
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 68,500,499,076/178,456
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 383,850.92