Finding the Third Proportional to 32,538 and 71,142

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   32,538 : 71,142 = 71,142 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   32,538/71,142 = 71,142/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   32,538x = 71,142 × 71,142
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   32,538x = 5,061,184,164
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,061,184,164/32,538
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 155,546.87