The equation \(12h + 30 = 258\) can be broken down as follows:
- \(12h\) represents the amount Eric earns for working \(h\) hours, at a rate of $12 per hour.
- The term \(30\) represents a fixed amount, which is his payment from the previous week.
- The equation is set equal to \(258\), which is the total amount Eric earned.
Therefore, the correct situation that best represents this equation is:
Eric was paid $30 last week. He was paid a $258 bonus and $12 for each hour he worked. What is h, the number of hours Eric worked last week?
This corresponds to the first option that you provided. The others do not accurately reflect the equation structure.