Finding the Third Proportional to 32,742 and 71,856

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   32,742 : 71,856 = 71,856 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   32,742/71,856 = 71,856/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   32,742x = 71,856 × 71,856
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   32,742x = 5,163,284,736
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,163,284,736/32,742
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 157,696.07