Gloria earns 1.5 times her normal hourly pay for each hour that she works over 40 hours in a week. her normal pay is $9.70 per hour. last week gloria earned $489.85. how many hours did she work last week? why did some people start with 9.7? ?

9.70 * 40 = 388 <== 40 hr regular pay
489.85 - 388 = 101.85
she earns 1.5(9.70) = 14.55 per hr for overtime
101.85/14.55 = 7 hrs overtime

check...
r = regular hrs, o = overtime hrs
9.7r + 14.55o = 489.85
9.7(40) + 14.55(7) = 489.85
388 + 101.85 = 489.85
489.85 = 489.85 (correct)

so Gloria worked a total of 47 hrs (40 regular hrs and 7 overtime hrs.)

some people start at a certain rate, but the longer they continue working there, their pay increases.