A conductivity meter operates based on a simple yet effective scientific principle. It applies a voltage between two electrodes immersed in a solution. The resulting current that passes through the solution is directly proportional to the solution’s conductivity. The meter measures this current and calculates the conductivity.

A conductivity meter measures conductivity by applying an alternating electrical current (I) to two or four electrodes. It determines the electrical resistance of the solution. To do this, the current method or potentiometric method is used. After immersing electrodes in a solution the meter applies a voltage between two electrodes.

Conductivity is the ability of a material to conduct electric current. The principle by which instruments measure conductivity is simple—two plates are placed in the sample, a potential is applied across the plates (normally a sine wave voltage), and the current that passes through the solution is measured.

The capacity of a material to carry an electric current is known as conductivity. Instruments use a principle to test conductivity: two plates are placed in the sample; a potential is applied across them and typically a sine wave voltage and the amount of current that flows through the mixture is measured.