Finding the Third Proportional to 72,459 and 159,003

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72,459 : 159,003 = 159,003 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72,459/159,003 = 159,003/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72,459x = 159,003 × 159,003
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72,459x = 25,281,954,009
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 25,281,954,009/72,459
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 348,913.92