A conductive probe is used to measure what in aqueous samples?

• A. Temperature
• B. pH changes
• C. To measure either solution conductivity or total ion concentration of aqueous samples.
• D. Viscosity

Answer: (C)

A conductive probe measures how easily an aqueous solution conducts electricity. This conductivity comes from ions in the solution and their mobility; more ions or faster-moving ions make the solution conduct electricity better. So the reading from a conductive probe serves as a direct indication of the solution’s conductivity and, in many cases, an indirect measure of total ion concentration. Temperature can affect conductivity, so readings are often temperature-compensated to reflect ion content more accurately. This is different from measuring temperature itself (done with a temperature sensor), viscosity (measured with a viscometer or rheometer), or pH (measured with a pH electrode sensitive to hydrogen ion activity).