Finding the Third Proportional to 34,458 and 74,172

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   34,458 : 74,172 = 74,172 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   34,458/74,172 = 74,172/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   34,458x = 74,172 × 74,172
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   34,458x = 5,501,485,584
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,501,485,584/34,458
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 159,657.72