Finding the Third Proportional to 2,600 and 5,686

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   2,600 : 5,686 = 5,686 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   2,600/5,686 = 5,686/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   2,600x = 5,686 × 5,686
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   2,600x = 32,330,596
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 32,330,596/2,600
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 12,434.84