Finding the Third Proportional to 72,342 and 156,712

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72,342 : 156,712 = 156,712 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72,342/156,712 = 156,712/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72,342x = 156,712 × 156,712
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72,342x = 24,558,650,944
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,558,650,944/72,342
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 339,479.84