Bryan needed exactly 86 m of cloth to make 16 small identical flags and 8 big identical flags. He had some cloth which was just enough to make all the small flags and 4 big flags. He used 140¹₂ 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 16 small flags + Length of 8 big flags = 86 m

1 m = 100 cm

Length of cloth for each small flag
= 140¹₂ cm
= 140.5 cm 
= 1.405 m

Length of cloth for 16 small flags
= 16 x 1.405 
= 22.48 m

Length of cloth for 8 big flags
= 86 - 22.48
= 63.52 m

Length of cloth to make 1 big flag
= 63.52 ÷ 8
= 7.94 m

(b)
Number of remaining big flags that Bryan needed
= 8 - 4
= 4

Length of cloth that he was short of
= Length of 4 big flags
= 4 x 7.94
= 31.76 m

Answer(s): (a) 7.94 m; (b) 31.76 m