Tara's taking a road trip for the weekend. She drives for two days, stopping to fill up her gas tank each time from empty to full when she needs it. She visits 4 different gas stations in total, with the price of gas being $3, $3.50, $4, and $4.50 respectively at each. If Tara's car has a 12-gallon tank, how much does she spend on gas for her road trip? Think carefully first, then make a decision:
The first station Tara stops at charges $3 for a gallon of gas, so for her 12 - gallon tank she spends 12 * 3 = 36 dollars. The second station Tara stops at charges $3.50 for a gallon of gas, so for her 12 - gallon tank she spends 12 * 3.5 = 42 dollars. The third station Tara stops at charges $4 for a gallon of gas, so for her 12 - gallon tank she spends 12 * 4 = 48 dollars. The fourth station Tara stops at charges $4.50 for a gallon of gas, so for her 12 - gallon tank she spends 12 * 4.5 = 54 dollars. Now that we know all the individual amounts, we add 36 + 42 + 48 + 54 = 180 dollars in gas in total. So, the answer is 180.