Finding the Third Proportional to 1,996 and 5,042

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   1,996 : 5,042 = 5,042 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   1,996/5,042 = 5,042/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   1,996x = 5,042 × 5,042
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   1,996x = 25,421,764
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 25,421,764/1,996
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 12,736.35