Finding the Third Proportional to 20,138 and 21,596

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   20,138 : 21,596 = 21,596 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   20,138/21,596 = 21,596/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   20,138x = 21,596 × 21,596
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   20,138x = 466,387,216
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 466,387,216/20,138
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 23,159.56