81Percent of a percent
At a school, 40% of the students are in the band, and 35% of the band members play a brass instrument. If 56 students play a brass instrument, how many students are at the school?
There are 400 students at the school. Work backward through the percents: 56 brass players is 35% of band, so band has 56/0.35 = 160 students; band is 40% of school, so school has 160/0.40 = 400 students.