Final answer:
Jen baked cookies and placed 12 cookies in each bag for her four friends, thus the algebraic equation representing the total cookies baked is 'c = 12 * 4'.
Step-by-step explanation:
To represent how many cookies Jen baked for her four friends, we use an algebraic equation where c stands for the total number of cookies. Given that she put 12 cookies in each bag for four of her friends, the equation will be c = 12 * 4. This equation allows for the use of inverse operations, such as division, to solve for c if the total number were known. The correct option that represents the number of cookies she baked is a) c = 12 * 4.