Finding the Third Proportional to 972.42 and 2,020.78

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   972.42 : 2,020.78 = 2,020.78 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   972.42/2,020.78 = 2,020.78/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   972.42x = 2,020.78 × 2,020.78
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   972.42x = 4,083,556.86
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 4,083,556.86/972.42
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 4,199.37