Finding the Third Proportional to 40,342 and 87,488

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   40,342 : 87,488 = 87,488 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   40,342/87,488 = 87,488/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   40,342x = 87,488 × 87,488
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   40,342x = 7,654,150,144
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 7,654,150,144/40,342
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 189,731.55