Finding the Third Proportional to 985 and 2,321.50

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   985 : 2,321.50 = 2,321.50 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   985/2,321.50 = 2,321.50/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   985x = 2,321.50 × 2,321.50
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   985x = 5,389,362.25
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 5,389,362.25/985
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 5,471.43