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Serial Dilution Planner

Calculate transfer and diluent volumes for serial dilution series. Supports fold-based and custom concentration targets. Data never leaves your browser.

General LabC₁V₁ = C₂V₂Client-Side

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Serial Dilution Series

Simple Dilution (C₁V₁ = C₂V₂)

  • Plan serial dilution series for dose-response curves, standard curves, or microbial enumeration
  • Calculate exact transfer and diluent volumes for any fold dilution factor
  • Verify pipetting volumes are within accurate range before starting benchwork
  • Generate dilution protocols for lab notebooks or SOPs
  • Quick C₁V₁ = C₂V₂ calculations for single-step dilutions

Don't use for

  • Preparing buffers at specific pH — use the Buffer Recipe Calculator instead
  • Calculating colony counts from dilution plates — use the CFU Calculator instead
  • Planning multi-component mixtures where multiple solutes interact (use a formulation tool)

Serial Dilution Fundamentals

Serial dilutions produce a geometric series of concentrations by repeatedly diluting a sample by a constant factor. The key equation is C₁V₁ = C₂V₂, where:

• C₁ = source concentration (previous tube or stock) • V₁ = volume transferred from source • C₂ = target concentration in the new tube • V₂ = total volume in the new tube

Rearranging: V₁ = (C₂ / C₁) ×\times V₂. The diluent volume is simply V₂ − V₁. Each tube in a serial dilution uses the previous tube as its source, so errors compound from step to step.

Choosing the Right Dilution Scheme

Match your dilution scheme to the experiment:

1:2 serial — Fine resolution, 8 steps cover 256-fold range. Use for: antibody titrations, MIC determinations, IC50 curves where you need dense data near the inflection.
1:10 serial — Wide range, 6 steps cover 10610^{6}-fold range. Use for: CFU enumeration, viral titers (TCID50), standard curves spanning orders of magnitude.
Half-log (1:√10) — Equal spacing on log axis, 8 steps cover ~10410^{4}-fold range. Use for: dose-response pharmacology, EC50/IC50 with 4PL fitting.
Custom — When you need specific concentrations to match previous experiments or regulatory requirements (e.g., ICH calibration levels).

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Steps

Pipettes

Single- and multi-channel pipettes for accurate liquid handling

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Microplates

96-well and 384-well plates for dilution-based assays

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