Finding the Third Proportional to 71,442 and 156,492

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   71,442 : 156,492 = 156,492 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   71,442/156,492 = 156,492/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   71,442x = 156,492 × 156,492
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   71,442x = 24,489,746,064
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,489,746,064/71,442
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 342,792