Finding the Third Proportional to 33,642 and 72,859

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   33,642 : 72,859 = 72,859 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   33,642/72,859 = 72,859/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   33,642x = 72,859 × 72,859
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   33,642x = 5,308,433,881
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,308,433,881/33,642
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 157,791.86