Finding the Third Proportional to 38,396 and 78,736

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   38,396 : 78,736 = 78,736 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   38,396/78,736 = 78,736/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   38,396x = 78,736 × 78,736
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   38,396x = 6,199,357,696
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 6,199,357,696/38,396
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 161,458.43