Finding the Third Proportional to 33,489 and 72,972

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   33,489 : 72,972 = 72,972 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   33,489/72,972 = 72,972/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   33,489x = 72,972 × 72,972
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   33,489x = 5,324,912,784
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,324,912,784/33,489
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 159,004.83