1. **State the problem:** We need to find another way to express the expression $$12(t - 0.25)$$ where $t$ is the time in hours. 2. **Use the distributive property:** The distributive property states that $$a(b - c) = ab - ac$$. 3. **Apply the distributive property:** $$12(t - 0.25) = 12 \times t - 12 \times 0.25$$ 4. **Calculate the multiplication:** $$12 \times t = 12t$$ $$12 \times 0.25 = 3$$ 5. **Write the simplified expression:** $$12t - 3$$ 6. **Compare with the options:** The expression matches option C: $$12t - 3$$. **Final answer:** C