Finding the Third Proportional to 986.50 and 2,142

Step by Step Solution

1. Step 1: Write the proportion equation
   986.50 : 2,142 = 2,142 : x
2. Step 2: Convert to fraction form
   986.50/2,142 = 2,142/x
3. Step 3: Cross multiply
   986.50x = 2,142 × 2,142
4. Step 4: Simplify right side
   986.50x = 4,588,164
5. Step 5: Solve for x
   x = 4,588,164/986.50
6. Step 6: Final answer
   x = 4,650.95