Finding the Third Proportional to 538.50 and 1,272

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   538.50 : 1,272 = 1,272 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   538.50/1,272 = 1,272/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   538.50x = 1,272 × 1,272
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   538.50x = 1,617,984
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 1,617,984/538.50
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 3,004.61