Plan a serial dilution series and calculate the concentration at each step.
Serial dilution achieves extreme dilutions accurately because each step stays within reliable pipetting volumes. Six tenfold steps give a millionfold dilution — six logs — which no single step could do precisely. Errors compound multiplicatively through a series, so a consistent 2 per cent pipetting error over six steps shifts the final concentration by about 13 per cent.
Serial Dilution
C_n = C₀ ÷ (dilution factor)^n; transfer volume = final volume ÷ dilution factor
C_n = C₀ ÷ (dilution factor)^n; transfer volume = final volume ÷ dilution factor Serial dilution achieves extreme dilutions accurately because each step stays within reliable pipetting volumes. Six tenfold steps give a millionfold dilution — six logs — which no single step could do precisely.
Errors compound multiplicatively through a series, so a consistent 2 per cent pipetting error over six steps shifts the final concentration by about 13 per cent.
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Starting concentration, Dilution factor per step, Number of steps, Final volume per tube. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.