MAXScanner biology & lab calculator
Serial Dilution Calculator — Concentration & Pipetting Table
Plan repeated serial dilutions from a starting concentration, dilution factor, number of steps and the final volume you want to retain in every tube. The pipetting table automatically prepares enough upstream volume for onward transfers.
Last updated: 2026-09-17
Results
Formula, example and assumptions
Cₙ=C₀/Fⁿ. Working volumes are solved backward: Qₙ=Vretain and Qᵢ=Vretain+Qᵢ₊₁/F; transfer into tube i = Qᵢ/F.
For a three-step 1:10 series that must retain 1 mL in every tube, the earlier tubes are prepared slightly above 1 mL so transferring material onward does not leave them short.
- Each step uses the previous concentration as its source.
- The entered volume is the amount retained in every dilution tube after any transfer to the next tube; the calculator increases earlier preparation volumes accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
What does a 1:10 serial dilution mean?
Each new tube receives one part source in ten parts prepared volume, so concentration is divided by ten at every step.
Why are earlier prepared volumes larger than my target volume?
Earlier tubes must donate sample to the next step. The calculator adds that onward-transfer amount so your requested volume remains in each tube afterward.