Finding the Third Proportional to 31,886 and 74,099

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   31,886 : 74,099 = 74,099 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   31,886/74,099 = 74,099/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   31,886x = 74,099 × 74,099
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   31,886x = 5,490,661,801
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,490,661,801/31,886
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 172,196.63