Finding the Third Proportional to 31,816 and 71,882

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   31,816 : 71,882 = 71,882 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   31,816/71,882 = 71,882/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   31,816x = 71,882 × 71,882
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   31,816x = 5,167,021,924
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,167,021,924/31,816
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 162,403.25