Finding the Third Proportional to 32,972 and 72,172

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   32,972 : 72,172 = 72,172 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   32,972/72,172 = 72,172/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   32,972x = 72,172 × 72,172
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   32,972x = 5,208,797,584
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,208,797,584/32,972
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 157,976.39