Finding the Third Proportional to 40,540 and 87,074

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   40,540 : 87,074 = 87,074 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   40,540/87,074 = 87,074/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   40,540x = 87,074 × 87,074
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   40,540x = 7,581,881,476
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 7,581,881,476/40,540
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 187,022.24