1. **State the problem:** Mr. Scarpa stays in a hotel that costs 78 per night. We need to write an equation for the total cost $c$ based on the number of nights $h$. 2. **Write the equation:** The total cost is the cost per night multiplied by the number of nights. $$c = 78h$$ 3. **Use the equation to find the cost for 5 nights:** Substitute $h = 5$ into the equation: $$c = 78 \times 5$$ 4. **Calculate:** $$c = 390$$ 5. **Answer:** The total cost for 5 nights is 390.