Finding the Third Proportional to 72,896 and 156,972

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   72,896 : 156,972 = 156,972 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   72,896/156,972 = 156,972/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   72,896x = 156,972 × 156,972
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   72,896x = 24,640,208,784
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 24,640,208,784/72,896
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 338,018.67