Finding the Third Proportional to 81,540 and 178,032

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   81,540 : 178,032 = 178,032 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   81,540/178,032 = 178,032/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   81,540x = 178,032 × 178,032
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   81,540x = 31,695,393,024
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 31,695,393,024/81,540
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 388,709.75