Dilution problem 1 Prepare a serial 5 fold dilution to 1 312

Dilution problem.

1. Prepare a serial 5 fold dilution to 1: 3125

Solution

A serial dilution is the stepwise dilution of a substance in solution. Usually the dilution factor at each step is constant, resulting in a geometric progression of the concentration in a logarithmic fashion.

In order to prepare a serial dilution of the order 1:3125 (5 fold dilution), one can refer to the following table.

Note: We assume that the volume required at each step is 1mL.

In the above table, 0.2mL is first taken from the master tube and mixed in tube no. 1. From tube no. 1, we then take 0.2mL and mix it with the contents of tube no. 2. From tube no. 2, we we then take 0.2mL and mix it with the contents of tube no. 3. This process is continued till we reach tube no. 5. Therefore, at each step, we are merely diluting the contents of the master tube at each successive step.

By performing a serial dilution of 1:5 at each step , for a total of 5 steps, we can ensure that the dilution factor in the final tube is 1:3125.