Finding the Third Proportional to 31,532 and 72,986

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   31,532 : 72,986 = 72,986 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   31,532/72,986 = 72,986/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   31,532x = 72,986 × 72,986
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   31,532x = 5,326,956,196
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,326,956,196/31,532
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 168,938.10