Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks about the primary purpose of specifying the phase margin in control systems.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
- Absolute stability tells us whether a system is stable or unstable (yes/no answer).
- Relative stability tells us how close a stable system is to becoming unstable.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
• Stability margins, such as Phase Margin (PM) and Gain Margin (GM), quantify the safety margin of a stable system against parameter variations.
• A higher phase margin indicates a more stable system with less oscillation (better relative stability).
• Therefore, these margins are measures of relative stability rather than absolute stability.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The phase margin is used to specify relative stability, which corresponds to Option (C).