Amanda bought g gallons of paint for \( \$ 16.55 \) per gallon and t pints of paint thinner for \( \$ 5.97 \) per pint. a. Write an expression to represent the total amount that Amanda spent. b. If Amanda bought 8 gallons of paint and 3 pints of paint thinner, how much did she spend? Explain your answer. a. Choose an expression that represents the total amount that Amanda spent. A. \( 16.55 \mathrm{t} \cdot 5.97 \mathrm{~g} \) O B. \( 16.55 \mathrm{~g} \cdot 5.97 \mathrm{t} \) OC. \( 16.55 \mathrm{t}+5.97 \mathrm{~g} \) OD. \( 16.55 \mathrm{~g}+5.97 \mathrm{t} \)

To find the total amount that Amanda spent, we need to multiply the cost per gallon of paint by the number of gallons, and the cost per pint of paint thinner by the number of pints. Therefore, the correct expression representing the total amount spent is \( 16.55 \mathrm{~g} + 5.97 \mathrm{t} \), which corresponds to option D. Now, substituting the values provided, if Amanda bought 8 gallons of paint and 3 pints of paint thinner, we calculate her total expenditure as follows: \( 8 \text{ gallons} \times 16.55 \text{ dollars/gallon} + 3 \text{ pints} \times 5.97 \text{ dollars/pint} = 132.40 + 17.91 = 150.31 \). Therefore, Amanda spent a total of \( \$150.31 \). If you'd like to dive into Amanda's spending, it may surprise you to know that budgeting for paint and supplies is a long-standing practice that dates back to the ancient Egyptians. They used natural pigments to create vibrant murals—talk about a colorful history! On the practical side, always double-check your quantities before buying. A common mistake people make is miscalculating the amount of materials needed for a project, leading to either overspending or running short mid-project. So, be sure to calculate carefully and maybe add a little cushion to your estimates just in case!