Finding the Third Proportional to 72,868 and 171,946

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72,868 : 171,946 = 171,946 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72,868/171,946 = 171,946/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72,868x = 171,946 × 171,946
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72,868x = 29,565,426,916
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 29,565,426,916/72,868
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 405,739.51