1. What is Serial Dilution?

Definition: Serial dilution is the stepwise dilution of a substance in solution, typically to reduce the concentration by a consistent factor at each step.

Purpose: Used in microbiology, biochemistry, and medical laboratories to create solutions of varying concentrations from a stock solution.

2. How Does Serial Dilution Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( C_n \) — Final concentration after n dilutions
• \( C_0 \) — Initial concentration
• \( DF \) — Dilution factor (e.g., 10 for 1:10 dilution)
• \( n \) — Number of serial dilutions performed

Explanation: Each dilution step reduces the concentration by the dilution factor, and multiple dilutions have a compounding effect.

3. Importance of Serial Dilution

Details: Essential for creating precise concentration gradients, microbial culture enumeration, drug testing, and creating standard curves in analytical chemistry.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the initial concentration (with units), dilution factor (typically 10), and number of dilutions. All values must be positive (DF > 1).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a typical dilution factor?
A: Common dilution factors are 10 (1:10) or 2 (1:2), but can be any value >1 depending on application.

Q2: How do I perform a serial dilution?
A: Transfer a fixed volume to new container, then add diluent to achieve total volume = DF × transfer volume.

Q3: Why use serial instead of direct dilution?
A: Serial dilution allows creating very dilute solutions accurately that would be impractical with single-step dilution.

Q4: What units should I use?
A: Any consistent concentration units (M, mg/mL, CFU/mL, etc.). The result will be in the same units as input.

Q5: How precise is this calculation?
A: The math is exact, but practical precision depends on your measurement technique and equipment.