Finding the Third Proportional to 72,143 and 156,985

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72,143 : 156,985 = 156,985 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72,143/156,985 = 156,985/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72,143x = 156,985 × 156,985
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72,143x = 24,644,290,225
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,644,290,225/72,143
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 341,603.35