Finding the Third Proportional to 72,342 and 156,712.50

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72,342 : 156,712.50 = 156,712.50 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72,342/156,712.50 = 156,712.50/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72,342x = 156,712.50 × 156,712.50
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72,342x = 24,558,807,656.25
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,558,807,656.25/72,342
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 339,482.01