a piece of fabric measuring 32 cm by 15cm was required for each pupil in a year 8 DT lesson. what was the minimum length of 120 cm wide fabric required for 28 pupils?

Assuming no loss in the cutting, how would I would cut 3 strips of 32 cm long, each subdivided into 8 pieces of 15 cm wide. This will take care of 24 pupils.

For the remaining 4 students, we cut in the direction, giving an extra length of 30 cm. with some waste.

The total length is therefore
3*32+2*15=116 cm

If we had cut in the same direction for everyone, there will be more waste, with a total length of 4*32=128 cm.

To find the minimum length of fabric required, we need to calculate the total area of fabric needed for all the pupils and then convert it to the length of fabric required for a fabric width of 120 cm.

Step 1: Calculate the area of fabric needed for a single pupil.
The fabric required for each pupil is 32 cm by 15 cm, so the area needed for one pupil is:

Area = length × width
= 32 cm × 15 cm
= 480 cm²

Step 2: Calculate the total area of fabric needed for 28 pupils.
To find the total area for all the pupils, multiply the area needed for one pupil by the number of pupils:

Total area = Area per pupil × Number of pupils
= 480 cm² × 28
= 13,440 cm²

Step 3: Convert the area to the length of fabric for a width of 120 cm.
Since the fabric width is 120 cm, the length of fabric required can be found by dividing the total area by the fabric width:

Length of fabric = Total area / Fabric width
= 13,440 cm² / 120 cm
= 112 cm

Therefore, the minimum length of 120 cm wide fabric required for 28 pupils is 112 cm.