George needed exactly 71 m of cloth to make 16 small identical streamers and 8 big identical streamers. He had some cloth which was just enough to make all the small streamers and 5 big streamers. He used 124¹₂ cm for each small streamer.

1. How much cloth would he need to make 1 big streamer?
2. How much cloth was he short of to make the remaining big streamers?

(a)
Length of 16 small streamers + Length of 8 big streamers = 71 m

1 m = 100 cm

Length of cloth for each small streamer
= 124¹₂ cm
= 124.5 cm 
= 1.245 m

Length of cloth for 16 small streamers
= 16 x 1.245 
= 19.92 m

Length of cloth for 8 big streamers
= 71 - 19.92
= 51.08 m

Length of cloth to make 1 big streamer
= 51.08 ÷ 8
= 6.385 m

(b)
Number of remaining big streamers that George needed
= 8 - 5
= 3

Length of cloth that he was short of
= Length of 3 big streamers
= 3 x 6.385
= 19.155 m

Answer(s): (a) 6.385 m; (b) 19.155 m