Home
Back
Serial Dilution Formula:
| From: | To: |
Serial dilution is a stepwise dilution of a substance in solution, typically using a constant dilution factor at each step. In 10-fold serial dilutions, each step reduces the concentration by a factor of 10.
The calculator uses the serial dilution formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates the concentration after n steps of 10-fold dilution from an initial concentration.
Details: Serial dilution is essential in various scientific fields including microbiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology for creating concentration gradients, preparing standard curves, and determining unknown concentrations.
Tips: Enter initial concentration in ng/μL and the number of dilution steps. Both values must be valid (concentration > 0, steps ≥ 0).
Q1: What is a 10-fold serial dilution?
A: A 10-fold serial dilution reduces the concentration by a factor of 10 at each step, typically by taking 1 part of the previous solution and adding 9 parts of diluent.
Q2: How do I calculate dilution factors?
A: For 10-fold serial dilutions, the dilution factor at step n is 10ⁿ. The concentration is calculated as initial concentration divided by the dilution factor.
Q3: What are common applications of serial dilution?
A: Common applications include bacterial culture preparation, PCR reactions, ELISA assays, drug sensitivity testing, and creating concentration standards for calibration curves.
Q4: How accurate are serial dilutions?
A: Accuracy depends on pipetting precision and technique. Using calibrated pipettes and proper technique is essential for reliable results.
Q5: Can I use this for other dilution factors?
A: This calculator is specifically for 10-fold dilutions. For other dilution factors, the formula would be Cₙ = C₀ / (dilution factor)ⁿ.