Finding the Third Proportional to 538.50 and 1,242

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   538.50 : 1,242 = 1,242 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   538.50/1,242 = 1,242/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   538.50x = 1,242 × 1,242
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   538.50x = 1,542,564
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 1,542,564/538.50
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 2,864.56