Finding the Third Proportional to 33,542 and 72,862

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   33,542 : 72,862 = 72,862 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   33,542/72,862 = 72,862/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   33,542x = 72,862 × 72,862
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   33,542x = 5,308,871,044
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,308,871,044/33,542
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 158,275.33