Finding the Third Proportional to 65,540 and 142,176

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   65,540 : 142,176 = 142,176 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   65,540/142,176 = 142,176/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   65,540x = 142,176 × 142,176
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   65,540x = 20,214,014,976
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 20,214,014,976/65,540
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 308,422.57