The coefficient of variation (CV) is calculated using the formula:

$\text{CV} = \left( \frac{\text{Standard Deviation}}{\text{Mean}} \right) \times 100$

Given:

• Standard deviation = 12.4
• Mean = 72.8

Now, substitute these values into the formula:

$\text{CV} = \left( \frac{12.4}{72.8} \right) \times 100 \approx 17.0\%$

So, the coefficient of variation is 17.0%.

The correct answer is 17.0%.

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Would you like a further explanation or have any other questions? Here are some related questions:

1. How do you interpret the coefficient of variation in different contexts?
2. What is the relationship between the standard deviation and variance?
3. How can you calculate the standard deviation of a population instead of a sample?
4. Why is the coefficient of variation useful when comparing data with different units?
5. How does the coefficient of variation change when the standard deviation or mean changes?

Tip: The coefficient of variation is especially useful when comparing the spread of data from different datasets with different units or scales.