Finding the Third Proportional to 42,240 and 86,856

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   42,240 : 86,856 = 86,856 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   42,240/86,856 = 86,856/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   42,240x = 86,856 × 86,856
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   42,240x = 7,543,964,736
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 7,543,964,736/42,240
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 178,597.65