Finding the Third Proportional to 31,976 and 74,686

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   31,976 : 74,686 = 74,686 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   31,976/74,686 = 74,686/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   31,976x = 74,686 × 74,686
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   31,976x = 5,577,998,596
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,577,998,596/31,976
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 174,443.29