Dilution Calculator

Formula first

Overview

The dilution equation is a mathematical representation of the conservation of solute mass during the process of adding solvent to a solution. It states that the product of the initial concentration and volume is equal to the product of the final concentration and volume, provided no solute is added or removed.

Symbols

Variables

$C_2$ = Final Conc, $V_2$ = Final Vol, $C_1$ = Initial Conc, $V_1$ = Initial Vol

Apply it well

When To Use

When to use: This formula is applied when a concentrated stock solution is being diluted to a lower concentration by adding more solvent. It assumes that the total amount of solute remains constant and that the volumes of the liquids are additive.

Why it matters: Dilution is a fundamental technique in laboratory science, pharmacology, and industrial chemistry for creating precise working solutions. It allows scientists to store compact, high-concentration reagents safely and prepare specific lower doses or reaction environments as needed.

Avoid these traps

Common Mistakes

• Confusing initial/final values.
• Using different volume units (mixing cm³ and dm³).
• Thinking concentration increases when diluting (it always decreases).

One free problem

Practice Problem

A chemist has 50 mL of a 2.0 M HCl stock solution. If they dilute it with water until the final volume reaches 250 mL, what is the new molar concentration of the solution?

Solve for: $C2$

Hint: Rearrange the formula to isolate the final concentration: C2 = (C1 × V1) / V2.

The full worked solution stays in the interactive walkthrough.

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Related Formulas

References

Sources

1. Chemistry: The Central Science (14th ed.) by Brown, LeMay, Bursten, Murphy, Woodward, Stoltzfus
2. Wikipedia: Dilution (chemistry)
3. Atkins' Physical Chemistry
4. IUPAC Gold Book
5. Chemistry: The Central Science by Brown, LeMay, Bursten, Murphy, Woodward, Stoltzfus
6. IUPAC Gold Book: Dilution
7. Edexcel GCSE Chemistry — Quantitative Chemistry