Finding the Third Proportional to 42,464 and 87,072

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   42,464 : 87,072 = 87,072 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   42,464/87,072 = 87,072/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   42,464x = 87,072 × 87,072
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   42,464x = 7,581,533,184
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 7,581,533,184/42,464
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 178,540.25