diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f40860d88..25a1b4811 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.htm
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- The `IsEmpty` method is added to the `Instrument` type in `go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/metric`.
+  This method is used to check if an `Instrument` instance is a zero-value. (#5431)
+
 ### Fixed
 
 - Log a warning to the OpenTelemetry internal logger when a `Record` in `go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/log` drops an attribute due to a limit being reached. (#5376)
diff --git a/sdk/metric/instrument.go b/sdk/metric/instrument.go
index f9768fd11..bbf560867 100644
--- a/sdk/metric/instrument.go
+++ b/sdk/metric/instrument.go
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ type Instrument struct {
 	nonComparable // nolint: unused
 }
 
-// empty returns if all fields of i are their zero-value.
-func (i Instrument) empty() bool {
+// IsEmpty returns if all Instrument fields are their zero-value.
+func (i Instrument) IsEmpty() bool {
 	return i.Name == "" &&
 		i.Description == "" &&
 		i.Kind == zeroInstrumentKind &&
diff --git a/sdk/metric/view.go b/sdk/metric/view.go
index 11e334319..cd08c6732 100644
--- a/sdk/metric/view.go
+++ b/sdk/metric/view.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ type View func(Instrument) (Stream, bool)
 // of the default. If you need to zero out an Stream field returned from a
 // View, create a View directly.
 func NewView(criteria Instrument, mask Stream) View {
-	if criteria.empty() {
+	if criteria.IsEmpty() {
 		global.Error(
 			errEmptyView, "dropping view",
 			"mask", mask,