Finding the Third Proportional to 72,144 and 156,986

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72,144 : 156,986 = 156,986 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72,144/156,986 = 156,986/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72,144x = 156,986 × 156,986
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72,144x = 24,644,604,196
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,644,604,196/72,144
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 341,602.96