Dilution Calculator
Calculate the final volume and diluent needed for a solution dilution.
Assumptions used in this calculation
- Additive volumes: Assumes volumes are simply additive (no volume contraction/expansion on mixing), a reasonable approximation for dilute aqueous solutions.
About this calculator
Diluting a concentrated stock solution down to a working concentration is one of the most common tasks in a lab, but the C₁V₁ = C₂V₂ relationship it depends on is easy to apply backwards, solving for the wrong volume, or forgetting that the formula gives you the total final volume rather than how much diluent to add, are common sources of a diluted solution that's still too strong or too weak. This calculator takes your stock solution's concentration and volume along with your target concentration, solves for the total final volume needed (V₂ = C₁V₁ ÷ C₂), and then subtracts the stock volume to tell you exactly how much diluent to add. It's built for lab technicians and students preparing reagents, buffers, or standard solutions at a specified concentration, removing the risk of accidentally computing the diluent volume instead of the total volume, a common source of dilution errors.
Worked example
10 mol/L stock, 50mL, diluted to 1 mol/L
Result: 500 mL final volume, add 450 mL diluent
Was this helpful?