Finding the Third Proportional to 32,859 and 71,871

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   32,859 : 71,871 = 71,871 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   32,859/71,871 = 71,871/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   32,859x = 71,871 × 71,871
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   32,859x = 5,165,440,641
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,165,440,641/32,859
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 157,200.18