Finding the Third Proportional to 42,444 and 87,012

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   42,444 : 87,012 = 87,012 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   42,444/87,012 = 87,012/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   42,444x = 87,012 × 87,012
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   42,444x = 7,571,088,144
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 7,571,088,144/42,444
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 178,378.29