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Chlorophyll Concentration Calculator

Work out chlorophyll concentration instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Chlorophyll Concentration Calculator

Applies Arnon's equations for chlorophyll in 80 percent acetone and scales the result to milligrams per gram of fresh tissue.

Formula

Arnon equations

Chl a = 12.7 A663 - 2.69 A645; Chl b = 22.9 A645 - 4.68 A663; total = 20.2 A645 + 8.02 A663, all in mg/L

Worked example

With the default values below, Chlorophyll Concentration Calculator returns Total chlorophyll in the extract of 13.4860. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Absorbance at 663 nmaccepts 0.001–3
0.8
Absorbance at 645 nmaccepts 0.001–3
0.35
Extract volumeaccepts 0.1–1,000 mL
10 mL
Fresh tissue massaccepts 0.001–100 g
0.5 g

Results

Total chlorophyll in the extract
13.4860 mg/L
Chlorophyll a
9.2185 mg/L
Chlorophyll b
4.2710 mg/L
Total chlorophyll per gram of tissue
0.26972 mg/g

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Arnon equations
  3. 3Total chlorophyll in the extract= 13.4860 mg/L
  4. 4Chlorophyll a= 9.2185 mg/L
  5. 5Chlorophyll b= 4.2710 mg/L
  6. 6Total chlorophyll per gram of tissue= 0.26972 mg/g

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 5 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which solvent do these coefficients assume?

80% acetone. Different coefficients apply for methanol, ethanol or DMSO extracts.

Why is the chlorophyll a to b ratio useful?

It typically runs about 3:1 in sun leaves and falls in shade leaves, which invest more in light-harvesting complexes.

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