Finding the Third Proportional to 31,171 and 42,587

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   31,171 : 42,587 = 42,587 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   31,171/42,587 = 42,587/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   31,171x = 42,587 × 42,587
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   31,171x = 1,813,652,569
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 1,813,652,569/31,171
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 58,183.97