Finding the Third Proportional to 31,496 and 42,588

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   31,496 : 42,588 = 42,588 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   31,496/42,588 = 42,588/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   31,496x = 42,588 × 42,588
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   31,496x = 1,813,737,744
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 1,813,737,744/31,496
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 57,586.29