Finding the Third Proportional to 42,144 and 85,500

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   42,144 : 85,500 = 85,500 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   42,144/85,500 = 85,500/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   42,144x = 85,500 × 85,500
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   42,144x = 7,310,250,000
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 7,310,250,000/42,144
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 173,458.86