pH is a measurable parameter between the values of 0 and 14, defining the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Solutions with a pH = 7 are considered neutral, pH < 7 are considered acidic and pH > 7 ...
One of the most basic tools for tinkering with electronics is a multimeter. Today, even a cheap meter has capabilities that would have been either very expensive or unobtainable back in the 1970s.