Serial dilution calculator
Cₙ = C₀ / factorⁿ
Calculate a series of successive dilutions at a constant factor from an initial concentration: resulting concentration, volume to transfer, and diluent volume for each tube, up to 100 steps.
Scientific dossier
What the tool computes, what it assumes, where it stops being valid, and where its data comes from.
Method & formulasCₙ = C₀ / factorⁿ
Cₙ = C₀ / factorⁿ
V_transfer = V_final / factor
V_diluent = V_final − V_transfer
The first formula gives the concentration of tube n. The next two give, for each tube and at a constant final volume, the volume to draw from the previous tube and the diluent volume to add.
- C₀
- · concentration of the starting solution.
- Factor
- · constant dilution ratio between two successive tubes (e.g. 10 for a 1/10 series).
- V_transfer
- · volume drawn from the previous tube (or from C₀ for the first tube).
- V_diluent
- · volume of diluent added to reach the final volume.
Validity domainThe volume to transfer and the diluent volume are identical for every tube in the series (constant final volume and factor): only the concentration changes from tube to tube.
The volume to transfer and the diluent volume are identical for every tube in the series (constant final volume and factor): only the concentration changes from tube to tube. Molar and mass concentrations stay separate, no conversion between the two is possible without 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.
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.