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.
