Finding the Third Proportional to 20,402 and 31,971

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   20,402 : 31,971 = 31,971 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   20,402/31,971 = 31,971/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   20,402x = 31,971 × 31,971
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   20,402x = 1,022,144,841
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 1,022,144,841/20,402
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 50,100.23