Finding the Third Proportional to 72,243 and 156,996

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72,243 : 156,996 = 156,996 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72,243/156,996 = 156,996/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72,243x = 156,996 × 156,996
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72,243x = 24,647,744,016
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,647,744,016/72,243
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 341,178.30