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    Dilution calculator

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    Use this calculator to define multiple concentrations of diluted stock solutions that you want to create. It will generate the volume you need to create a specific volume and concentration.

    The C1V1 = C2V2 formula: Using your stocks to calculate dilutions

    You normally use the formula C1V1 = C2V2 to calculate dilutions:

    • C1 is the concentrated starting stock
    • V1 is the volume of starting stock required
    • C2 is the desired stock concentration
    • V2 is the desired stock volume

    It allows you to determine the volume of concentrated stock (V1) and diluent you need to generate a specific dilution, at a specific volume.

    An example of the C1V1= C2V2 formula in action

    For example, let’s say you have a 3M solution in your lab—this would be your starting stock (C1). You decide you’d like to dilute it to 1M, which would be your desired stock concentration (C2). You’d like to have 60mL of this 1M stock, so 60mL is your desired stock volume (V2).

    To calculate how to create this 1M solution, we can use the equation: C1 ⋅ V1 = C2 ⋅ V2

    Since we know C1, C2 and V2, we can substitute in these values to calculate V1, giving us: 

    3 ⋅ V1  = 1 ⋅ 60 

    By simplifying this calculation, you now know that V1 is 20—meaning you’d need 20mL of starting stock to make your desired concentration.

    But you’ll also need to add some diluent to create your 1M solution. To calculate the volume of diluent V(d) you’ll need, we use the equation: V(d) = V2 - V1

    Since we know both V2 and V1 from our previous calculation, we can substitute in these values to get:

    V(d) = 60 - 20

    Since V(d) is 40, this means you’ll need to add 40mL of diluent (usually water or buffer), to 20mL of your starting 3M stock (V1) to create a 1M solution.

    Problems you might encounter when calculating dilutions

    If you’re a biologist working in the life sciences, and you’re trying to calculate the dilutions from multiple stocks, you would expect to do a bit of mental math. A bit of trial and error, until you hit your optimum.

    But a “bit” of mental math can turn into a “lot”, as you increase your experiment’s complexity. 

    How this online dilution calculator helps

    The scientists in Synthace’s lab team know how tedious calculating dilutions can be. That’s why they helped create this online dilution calculator. They wanted to help scientists like you create dilutions faster by allowing you to calculate the volumes for multiple dilutions simultaneously.

    Once you’ve calculated your dilutions with our calculator, you can also take the data to a spreadsheet by exporting your calculations as a .csv—all at the click of a button. 

    Introducing Synthace

    Synthace lets you design and digitize protocols, then translates them to the robot, so you don't have to. No more dilution or normalization calculations, or figuring out the stocks and volumes for complex liquid mixtures.

    Just more headspace for doing more powerful experimentation.

    “In just a few months, Synthace saved me from performing 20,000
    manual calculations—it’s all done for me.”

    Alex Rimmer | Stem Cell Scientist III at Uncommon

    How Synthace automatically calculates the optimal dilutions for you, and much more 

    Synthace is a digital experiment platform, helping scientists working in life science R&D teams run more powerful experiments and accelerate scientific progress. 

    The Synthace platform enables this in part by automatically calculating and updating the dilutions you need as you go. 

    But figuring out how to dilute your stocks is only the beginning. You might also need to make serial dilutions, normalizations, mixtures with multiple liquids—or all of the above, in the same experiment.

    That’s why the Synthace platform also does more than automatically calculating dilutions. Designed by scientists, for scientists, it removes all the math and guesswork from the experimental design process—turning your design into an executable plan. Synthace does this by, among other parameters, allowing you to input:

    • The end-point concentration
    • The final total volume for each run
    • The minimum transfer volume that the device (or you think that you) can pipette
    • The maximum concentration so that you avoid exceeding the concentrations you have to hand 

    See Synthace in action

    Learn more about how we abstract the experiment design and planning process, control lab equipment, and aggregate your data. All in one platform.

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