Finding the Third Proportional to 86,538 and 186,468

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   86,538 : 186,468 = 186,468 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   86,538/186,468 = 186,468/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   86,538x = 186,468 × 186,468
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   86,538x = 34,770,315,024
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 34,770,315,024/86,538
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 401,792.45