Finding the Third Proportional to 72,072 and 168,342

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72,072 : 168,342 = 168,342 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72,072/168,342 = 168,342/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72,072x = 168,342 × 168,342
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72,072x = 28,339,028,964
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 28,339,028,964/72,072
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 393,204.42