Finding the Third Proportional to 17,872 and 39,042

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   17,872 : 39,042 = 39,042 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   17,872/39,042 = 39,042/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   17,872x = 39,042 × 39,042
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   17,872x = 1,524,277,764
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 1,524,277,764/17,872
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 85,288.59