Finding the Third Proportional to 20,138 and 31,432

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   20,138 : 31,432 = 31,432 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   20,138/31,432 = 31,432/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   20,138x = 31,432 × 31,432
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   20,138x = 987,970,624
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 987,970,624/20,138
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 49,060.02