Finding the Third Proportional to 38,242 and 83,540

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   38,242 : 83,540 = 83,540 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   38,242/83,540 = 83,540/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   38,242x = 83,540 × 83,540
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   38,242x = 6,978,931,600
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 6,978,931,600/38,242
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 182,493.90