Finding the Third Proportional to 72,376 and 157,142

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72,376 : 157,142 = 157,142 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72,376/157,142 = 157,142/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72,376x = 157,142 × 157,142
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72,376x = 24,693,608,164
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,693,608,164/72,376
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 341,185.04