Finding the Third Proportional to 35,686.50 and 77,342

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   35,686.50 : 77,342 = 77,342 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   35,686.50/77,342 = 77,342/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   35,686.50x = 77,342 × 77,342
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   35,686.50x = 5,981,784,964
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,981,784,964/35,686.50
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 167,620.39