Finding the Third Proportional to 42 and 88.50

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   42 : 88.50 = 88.50 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   42/88.50 = 88.50/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   42x = 88.50 × 88.50
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   42x = 7,832.25
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 7,832.25/42
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 186.48