Finding the Third Proportional to 74,156 and 159,978

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   74,156 : 159,978 = 159,978 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   74,156/159,978 = 159,978/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   74,156x = 159,978 × 159,978
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   74,156x = 25,592,960,484
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 25,592,960,484/74,156
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 345,123.26