X * .64 = 1200
x * .64/.64 = 1200/.64
x = 1875
1875 students applied last year
Let's break the equation in several step to make things more clear: first of all, the numerator of the left hand side simplifies to

Similarly, the denominator becomes

Dividing by a fraction means to multiply by the inverse of that fraction:

So, in your case, we have

So, the equation has become

Multiply both sides by 3(9x-6):

Subtract 24x from both sides, and add 18 to both sides:

Can you explain more please
18 is the answer because... Woodwinds have 6, Percussion has 3, and Brass has 9! Hope that I helped! :)