Finding the Third Proportional to 978 and 2,416.50

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   978 : 2,416.50 = 2,416.50 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   978/2,416.50 = 2,416.50/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   978x = 2,416.50 × 2,416.50
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   978x = 5,839,472.25
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,839,472.25/978
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 5,970.83