A fictional diagram needs 20 segments in the ratio 1 short: 3 long. Shorts are 2/5 m each; longs are 3/5 m each. Supplier A sells whole metre units at $1.60/m and B at $1.40/m. All tape is usable, joins are allowed and cutting loss is zero. There are no initial fees. Budget is $15.50. Spare length may be kept.
Your task
Find both counts, the short fraction of all segments and the exact total length. Calculate cheapest sufficient whole-metre quantities, total cost and spare length for each supplier. Recommend an order within the budget or explain why neither works. State one assumption.