Finding the Third Proportional to 72.38 and 157.57

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72.38 : 157.57 = 157.57 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72.38/157.57 = 157.57/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72.38x = 157.57 × 157.57
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72.38x = 24,828.40
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,828.40/72.38
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 343.04