Finding the Third Proportional to 71,721 and 156,978

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   71,721 : 156,978 = 156,978 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   71,721/156,978 = 156,978/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   71,721x = 156,978 × 156,978
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   71,721x = 24,642,092,484
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,642,092,484/71,721
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 343,582.67