The pH scale measures the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution, with pH defined as the negative logarithm of the H+ concentration. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with lower values indicating more acidic solutions and higher values indicating more alkaline or basic solutions. The concentration of H+ ions determines whether a solution is acidic, alkaline, or neutral. Common pH indicators change color depending on the pH level, allowing the acidity or alkalinity of solutions to be measured visually.