Finding the Third Proportional to 40,538 and 87,112

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   40,538 : 87,112 = 87,112 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   40,538/87,112 = 87,112/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   40,538x = 87,112 × 87,112
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   40,538x = 7,588,500,544
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 7,588,500,544/40,538
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 187,194.74