A pH meter is a scientific instrument that measures the hydrogen-ion activity in water-based solutions, indicating its acidity or alkalinity expressed as pH. The pH meter measures the difference in electrical potential between a pH electrode and a reference electrode, and so the pH meter is sometimes referred to as a "potentiometric pH meter". The difference in electrical potential relates to the acidity or pH of the solution. Testing of pH via pH meters (pH-metry) is used in many applications ranging from laboratory experimentation to quality control.

In chemistry, pH, also referred to as acidity or basicity, historically denotes "potential of hydrogen". It is a logarithmic scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of aqueous solutions. Acidic solutions are measured to have lower pH values than basic or alkaline solutions.