Finding the Third Proportional to 42,174 and 86,454

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   42,174 : 86,454 = 86,454 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   42,174/86,454 = 86,454/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   42,174x = 86,454 × 86,454
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   42,174x = 7,474,294,116
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 7,474,294,116/42,174
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 177,225.17