Finding the Third Proportional to 35,978.75 and 76,342

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   35,978.75 : 76,342 = 76,342 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   35,978.75/76,342 = 76,342/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   35,978.75x = 76,342 × 76,342
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   35,978.75x = 5,828,100,964
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,828,100,964/35,978.75
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 161,987.31