Finding the Third Proportional to 72,142 and 156,982

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72,142 : 156,982 = 156,982 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72,142/156,982 = 156,982/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72,142x = 156,982 × 156,982
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72,142x = 24,643,348,324
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,643,348,324/72,142
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 341,595.03