Finding the Third Proportional to 40,286 and 86,978

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   40,286 : 86,978 = 86,978 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   40,286/86,978 = 86,978/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   40,286x = 86,978 × 86,978
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   40,286x = 7,565,172,484
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 7,565,172,484/40,286
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 187,786.64