Final answer:
A function that performs a sequential search is a method used in computer science to search for a specific element in a list or array by checking each element one by one.
Step-by-step explanation:
A function that performs a sequential search is a method used in computer science to search for a specific element in a list or array by checking each element one by one in order until a match is found or the entire list has been traversed. It is called a 'sequential' search because it follows a sequential order.
For example, let's say we have an array of numbers [3, 5, 2, 1, 4] and we want to find the position of the number 2. A sequential search algorithm would start at the first element, compare it with the target number, and move to the next element until a match is found or the end of the array is reached.
This method is simple to implement but can be time-consuming for large lists. In terms of efficiency, a sequential search has a time complexity of O(n), where n is the number of elements in the list.