Final answer:
Kala had 3.8 gallons in her car and added 11.59 gallons. The total amount is calculated by addition, resulting in 15.39 gallons, which should be rounded to the tenths place due to the initial measurement's precision, yielding a final total of 15.4 gallons.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the total amount of fuel in Kala's car after adding 11.59 gallons to the 3.8 gallons already there, we need to perform a simple addition operation. When carrying out addition with decimal numbers, we align the decimal points and sum each column starting from the rightmost digit. However, precision is key when dealing with significant figures and measurements.
We are given that Kala had 3.8 gallons of fuel in her car initially. This measurement is to the tenths place, indicating it's precise to one decimal place. When Kala adds 11.59 gallons, a number precise to the hundredths place, we have to limit our final answer to the precision of the less precise measurement, which is 3.8 gallons.
Performing the addition:
- 3.8 gallons (initial fuel)
- + 11.59 gallons (added fuel)
- = 15.39 gallons (total fuel)
However, because the initial amount of fuel is only precise to the tenths place, we should round our final answer to the tenths place too. Therefore, Kala has 15.4 gallons of fuel in her car now after adding the two amounts together.