Finding the Third Proportional to 859 and 2,096.50

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   859 : 2,096.50 = 2,096.50 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   859/2,096.50 = 2,096.50/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   859x = 2,096.50 × 2,096.50
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   859x = 4,395,312.25
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 4,395,312.25/859
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 5,116.78