Finding the Third Proportional to 862 and 1,601.50

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   862 : 1,601.50 = 1,601.50 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   862/1,601.50 = 1,601.50/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   862x = 1,601.50 × 1,601.50
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   862x = 2,564,802.25
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 2,564,802.25/862
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 2,975.41