Serial dilution calculator
Serial dilution protocol at a constant factor: concentration, volume to transfer and diluent volume for each tube.
Result
Awaiting the quantities required for the calculation.
Calculation, assumptions and sources
OverviewSuccessive dilutions at a constant factor from an initial concentration C₀: concentration, volume to transfer and diluent volume for each tube, up to 100 steps.
Successive dilutions at a constant factor from an initial concentration C₀: concentration, volume to transfer and diluent volume for each tube, up to 100 steps.
Method & formulasCₙ = C₀ / factorⁿ
Cₙ = C₀ / factorⁿVtransfer = Vfinal / factorVdiluent = Vfinal − Vtransfer
Cₙ is the concentration of tube n; the final volume V_final is the same for every tube.
- C₀
- concentration of the starting solution.
- Factor
- constant dilution ratio between two successive tubes (e.g. 10 for a 1/10 series).
- Vtransfer
- volume drawn from the previous tube (or from C₀ for the first tube).
- Vdiluent
- volume of diluent added to reach the final volume.
Validity domainMolar and mass concentrations stay separate: converting between them requires the solute's molar mass.
Molar and mass concentrations stay separate: converting between them requires the solute's molar mass.
ExampleA series starting from 100 mmol/L, factor 10, 3 steps, gives 10 mmol/L, 1 mmol/L, then 0.1 mmol/L.
A series starting from 100 mmol/L, factor 10, 3 steps, gives 10 mmol/L, 1 mmol/L, then 0.1 mmol/L. With a final volume of 1 mL per tube, each step draws 100 µL from the previous tube and adds 900 µL of diluent.