Finding the Third Proportional to 86,538 and 186,004

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   86,538 : 186,004 = 186,004 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   86,538/186,004 = 186,004/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   86,538x = 186,004 × 186,004
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   86,538x = 34,597,488,016
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 34,597,488,016/86,538
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 399,795.33