Finding the Third Proportional to 8,500 and 17,242

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   8,500 : 17,242 = 17,242 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   8,500/17,242 = 17,242/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   8,500x = 17,242 × 17,242
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   8,500x = 297,286,564
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 297,286,564/8,500
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 34,974.89