Finding the Third Proportional to 32,872 and 72,304

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   32,872 : 72,304 = 72,304 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   32,872/72,304 = 72,304/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   32,872x = 72,304 × 72,304
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   32,872x = 5,227,868,416
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,227,868,416/32,872
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 159,037.13