Zane needed exactly 88 m of cloth to make 17 small identical flags and 9 big identical flags. He had some cloth which was just enough to make all the small flags and 5 big flags. He used 114¹₂ cm for each small flag.

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

(a)
Length of 17 small flags + Length of 9 big flags = 88 m

1 m = 100 cm

Length of cloth for each small flag
= 114¹₂ cm
= 114.5 cm 
= 1.145 m

Length of cloth for 17 small flags
= 17 x 1.145 
= 19.465 m

Length of cloth for 9 big flags
= 88 - 19.465
= 68.535 m

Length of cloth to make 1 big flag
= 68.535 ÷ 9
= 7.615 m

(b)
Number of remaining big flags that Zane needed
= 9 - 5
= 4

Length of cloth that he was short of
= Length of 4 big flags
= 4 x 7.615
= 30.46 m

Answer(s): (a) 7.615 m; (b) 30.46 m