Finding the Third Proportional to 31,712 and 74,996

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   31,712 : 74,996 = 74,996 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   31,712/74,996 = 74,996/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   31,712x = 74,996 × 74,996
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   31,712x = 5,624,400,016
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,624,400,016/31,712
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 177,358.73