Peter needed exactly 72 m of cloth to make 16 small identical banners and 9 big identical banners. He had some cloth which was just enough to make all the small banners and 4 big banners. He used 121¹₂ cm for each small banner.

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

(a)
Length of 16 small banners + Length of 9 big banners = 72 m

1 m = 100 cm

Length of cloth for each small banner
= 121¹₂ cm
= 121.5 cm 
= 1.215 m

Length of cloth for 16 small banners
= 16 x 1.215 
= 19.44 m

Length of cloth for 9 big banners
= 72 - 19.44
= 52.56 m

Length of cloth to make 1 big banner
= 52.56 ÷ 9
= 5.84 m

(b)
Number of remaining big banners that Peter needed
= 9 - 4
= 5

Length of cloth that he was short of
= Length of 5 big banners
= 5 x 5.84
= 29.2 m

Answer(s): (a) 5.84 m; (b) 29.2 m