Finding the Third Proportional to 9,700 and 16,342

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   9,700 : 16,342 = 16,342 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   9,700/16,342 = 16,342/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   9,700x = 16,342 × 16,342
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   9,700x = 267,060,964
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 267,060,964/9,700
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 27,532.06