Cell Dilution Calculator
Calculate cell suspension dilutions using the C₁V₁ = C₂V₂ formula for laboratory experiments
Calculate Cell Dilution
How to use:
Enter any 3 values and the calculator will determine the 4th using the C₁V₁ = C₂V₂ formula. Leave the value you want to calculate empty or as zero.
Concentration of your primary/stock cell suspension
Volume of initial suspension to be diluted
Target concentration after dilution
Total volume of diluted suspension
Dilution Results
Enter any 3 values to calculate the 4th parameter
Leave the value you want to calculate empty or as zero
Example Calculation
Scenario: Preparing Cell Culture Dilution
Initial concentration (C₁): 1.0 × 10⁶ cells/ml
Desired final concentration (C₂): 1.0 × 10⁴ cells/ml
Final volume needed (V₂): 10 ml
Calculate: Volume of stock needed (V₁)
Solution
Using C₁ × V₁ = C₂ × V₂
V₁ = (C₂ × V₂) / C₁
V₁ = (1.0 × 10⁴ × 10) / (1.0 × 10⁶)
V₁ = 0.1 ml (100 μl)
Diluent volume: 10 - 0.1 = 9.9 ml
Dilution factor: 1:100
Protocol
1. Take 100 μl of stock cell suspension (1.0 × 10⁶ cells/ml)
2. Add 9.9 ml of culture medium or buffer
3. Mix gently to achieve uniform distribution
4. Final result: 10 ml at 1.0 × 10⁴ cells/ml concentration
Key Points
Initial Concentration
Cell count per volume in stock solution
Aliquot Volume
Amount of stock solution to use
Final Concentration
Target cell density after dilution
Final Volume
Total volume of diluted suspension
Common Applications
Cell culture passage and maintenance
Preparing cell suspensions for experiments
Cell counting and viability assays
Flow cytometry sample preparation
Seeding cells at specific densities
Serial dilution for bacterial cultures
Understanding Cell Dilution Calculations
The C₁V₁ = C₂V₂ Formula
The cell dilution formula is based on the principle of conservation of mass. When you dilute a cell suspension, the total number of cells remains constant - they are just distributed in a larger volume.
When to Use This Calculator
- •Preparing specific cell concentrations for experiments
- •Diluting concentrated cell stocks
- •Calculating volumes for cell counting
- •Planning serial dilutions
Dilution Factor
Dilution Factor = C₁ / C₂
Ratio of initial to final concentration
Serial Dilutions
For very high dilution factors (e.g., 1:100,000), it's often more practical to perform serial dilutions rather than a single large dilution.
Example Serial Dilution
To achieve 1:100,000 dilution:
• Step 1: 1:100 (10 μl + 990 μl)
• Step 2: 1:100 (10 μl + 990 μl)
• Step 3: 1:10 (100 μl + 900 μl)
Result: 1:100,000 total dilution