Solution Dilution Calculator

The calculator uses the dilution equation C1V1 = C2V2, where C1 is the stock concentration, V1 is the volume taken from the stock, C2 is the desired final concentration, and V2 is the final total volume. This formula is also written as M1V1 = M2V2 — both notations are equivalent.

Enter your stock concentration (C1), the desired final concentration (C2), and the final volume you want (V2). The calculator will tell you exactly how much stock solution (V1) to take and how much diluent (e.g., water or buffer) to add to reach your target volume and concentration.

Yes — the C1V1 = C2V2 equation can be rearranged to solve for any unknown. By default, this calculator solves for V1 (volume from stock) given C1, C2, and V2. If you know V1 and need to find C2 or V2, you can rearrange the formula manually or adjust which field you leave blank.

The calculator supports femtomolar (fM), picomolar (pM), nanomolar (nM), micromolar (µM), millimolar (mM), and molar (M). Each input field has its own independent unit selector, so you can freely mix units — the calculator converts all values to a common base unit before computing.

You can choose from nanoliters (nL), microliters (µL), milliliters (mL), and liters (L) independently for each volume field. This is especially useful when working with very small volumes common in biochemistry and cell biology experiments.

The dilution factor is the ratio of the final volume to the volume taken from stock (V2 / V1). For example, if you take 1 mL from stock and dilute it to 10 mL total, the dilution factor is 10. It describes how many times more dilute the final solution is compared to the stock.

A simple dilution uses C1V1 = C2V2 to prepare a target concentration in a single step from a stock. A serial dilution involves performing multiple successive simple dilutions, each using the previous dilution as the new 'stock'. Serial dilutions are used to reach very low concentrations that would be impractical to achieve in a single step.

If the calculated volume from stock (V1) is greater than the final volume (V2), it means your desired final concentration (C2) is higher than your stock concentration (C1) — which is not physically possible by dilution alone. Check that C2 is less than C1, or adjust your units to ensure they are entered correctly.