Step 1: Recall what coefficient of variation measures.
The coefficient of variation (CV) tells us how spread out the data is relative to its average. It lets us compare consistency between two data sets even when their sizes differ.
Step 2: Write the working formula.
$\text{CV} = \dfrac{\sigma}{\bar{x}} \times 100$, where $\sigma$ is the standard deviation and $\bar{x}$ is the mean.
Step 3: List the given values.
Here $\sigma = 12$ and $\bar{x} = 72$.
Step 4: Substitute the values.
$\text{CV} = \dfrac{12}{72} \times 100$.
Step 5: Simplify the fraction first.
$\dfrac{12}{72} = \dfrac{1}{6}$, so $\text{CV} = \dfrac{100}{6}$.
Step 6: Convert to a decimal.
$\dfrac{100}{6} = 16.6\overline{6}$, which rounds to $16.67$. So the data shows about a $16.67\%$ relative variation.
\[ \boxed{\text{CV} = 16.67} \]