Final answer:
To find the hourly pay, divide the total gross pay of $7,040 by the total number of hours worked in a week (40 hours) to get $176 per hour, which is option (a). This assumes that the gross pay is for one week since no specific pay period is provided in the question.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find out someone's hourly pay from their gross pay, you would divide the total gross pay by the total number of hours worked. In this case, the problem states that the person's gross pay is $7,040, and they work 40 hours a week.
First, we need to determine how many weeks are included in the gross pay figure if it's not specified. Because a common pay period is bi-weekly (every two weeks), monthly, or annually, if we are not sure about the period the gross pay covers, calculating an hourly rate would not be accurate. Presuming an annual salary, we would divide by 52 weeks, but the question does not specify the period. Thus, without specific information, you can only calculate based on one week's work.
Assuming the $7,040 is for a single week, the calculation would be:
$7,040 divided by (40 hours per week) = $176 per hour.
Therefore, the hourly pay is $176 per hour, which corresponds to answer choice (a).