Finding the Third Proportional to 21,242 and 31,871

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   21,242 : 31,871 = 31,871 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   21,242/31,871 = 31,871/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   21,242x = 31,871 × 31,871
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   21,242x = 1,015,760,641
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 1,015,760,641/21,242
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 47,818.50