Finding the Third Proportional to 83,601 and 178,857

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   83,601 : 178,857 = 178,857 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   83,601/178,857 = 178,857/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   83,601x = 178,857 × 178,857
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   83,601x = 31,989,826,449
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 31,989,826,449/83,601
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 382,648.85