Finding the Third Proportional to 986.50 and 1,996

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   986.50 : 1,996 = 1,996 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   986.50/1,996 = 1,996/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   986.50x = 1,996 × 1,996
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   986.50x = 3,984,016
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 3,984,016/986.50
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 4,038.54