Final answer:
The value of 's' in a sinusoidal steady-state waveform typically represents the displacement in the context of waves or the instantaneous voltage in electricity. It is part of a sinusoidal function that describes the waveform over time and position.
Step-by-step explanation:
The value of s for a sinusoidal steady-state waveform represents the displacement of the medium at a point x and time t, in the case of a sound wave, or the voltage in an electric circuit for a sine wave voltage. A general equation for a one-dimensional sinusoidal wave can be written as s (x, t) = Smax Cos (kx − ωt + φ), where s is the displacement, Smax is the maximum displacement, k is the wave number, ω (omega) is the angular frequency, and φ (phi) is the initial phase. When dealing with voltage in circuits, this can be represented by v(t) = Vmax sin(ωt + φ), with v(t) being the voltage at time t, Vmax representing the peak voltage, and the same ω and φ representing the angular frequency and phase shift, respectively. The sinusoidal equation oscillates between the positive and negative values of Smax or Vmax, repeating every period T, which is related to the angular frequency by ω = 2π/T.