Finding the Third Proportional to 31,408 and 72,652

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   31,408 : 72,652 = 72,652 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   31,408/72,652 = 72,652/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   31,408x = 72,652 × 72,652
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   31,408x = 5,278,313,104
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,278,313,104/31,408
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 168,056.33