Finding the Third Proportional to 3,586 and 5,538

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   3,586 : 5,538 = 5,538 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   3,586/5,538 = 5,538/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   3,586x = 5,538 × 5,538
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   3,586x = 30,669,444
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 30,669,444/3,586
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 8,552.55