Final answer:
In chemistry, the symbol 's' in PbI2(s) stands for solid, indicating the physical state of the substance lead iodide in the given context.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the example PbI2(s), the 's' symbol means that the substance is in the solid state. Chemical equations often include symbols to indicate the physical states of reactants and products. The standard symbols used are (s) for solid, (l) for liquid, (g) for gas, and (aq) for aqueous, which means the substance is dissolved in water. For instance, PbI2(s) signifies that lead iodide is a solid in its given reaction or context.