Finding the Third Proportional to 65,538 and 142,172

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   65,538 : 142,172 = 142,172 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   65,538/142,172 = 142,172/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   65,538x = 142,172 × 142,172
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   65,538x = 20,212,877,584
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 20,212,877,584/65,538
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 308,414.62