Charlie needed exactly 87 m of cloth to make 21 short identical streamers and 9 long identical streamers. He had some cloth which was just enough to make all the short streamers and 3 long streamers. He used 132¹₂ cm for each short streamer.

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

(a)
Length of 21 short streamers + Length of 9 long streamers = 87 m

1 m = 100 cm

Length of cloth for each short streamer
= 132¹₂ cm
= 132.5 cm 
= 1.325 m

Length of cloth for 21 short streamers
= 21 x 1.325 
= 27.825 m

Length of cloth for 9 long streamers
= 87 - 27.825
= 59.175 m

Length of cloth to make 1 long streamer
= 59.175 ÷ 9
= 6.575 m

(b)
Number of remaining long streamers that Charlie needed
= 9 - 3
= 6

Length of cloth that he was short of
= Length of 6 long streamers
= 6 x 6.575
= 39.45 m

Answer(s): (a) 6.575 m; (b) 39.45 m