Let's break down the problem step-by-step to determine the correct equation to find the number of overtime hours Peter worked.
1. Determine Regular Earnings:
Peter earns \[tex]$9 per hour for the first 40 hours. His earnings for these 40 hours can be calculated as:
\[
\text{Regular earnings} = 40 \times 9 = 360
\]
Therefore, Peter's regular earnings for the first 40 hours are \$[/tex]360.
2. Identify Total Earnings:
Last week, Peter earned a total of \[tex]$444.
3. Calculate Overtime Earnings:
The total earnings include both his regular earnings and his overtime earnings. We need to find the number of overtime hours he worked. Let's denote the number of overtime hours by \( h \). For every overtime hour, Peter earns \$[/tex]12.
4. Set Up the Equation:
The total earnings of \$444 is the sum of his regular earnings and the earnings from the overtime hours. Therefore, we can set up the equation as:
[tex]\[
\text{Regular earnings} + \text{Overtime earnings} = \text{Total earnings}
\][/tex]
We substitute the values we know into this equation:
[tex]\[
360 + 12h = 444
\][/tex]
Hence, the correct equation to find the number of overtime hours [tex]\( h \)[/tex] is:
[tex]\[
(40 \times 9) + 12h = 444
\][/tex]
Therefore, the correct answer is:
[tex]\[ \boxed{(40 \times 9) + 12h = 444} \][/tex]
So the correct choice is C.
