Glossary / Dilution

Dilution

Dilution refers to the process of reducing the concentration of a solute in a solution by adding more solvent. This is typically done by adding more solvent to a given volume of a solution. The resulting solution will have a lower concentration of the solute compared to the original solution. Dilution is commonly used in various scientific and practical applications. In chemistry, it is often used to prepare solutions of a desired concentration for experiments or analysis. In biology and medicine, dilution is used to prepare samples for testing or to administer medications at specific concentrations. The process of dilution follows a mathematical relationship known as the dilution equation, which states that the initial concentration of the solute multiplied by the initial volume of the solution is equal to the final concentration of the solute multiplied by the final volume of the solution. This equation allows for the calculation of the volume of solute or solvent needed to achieve a desired concentration. Dilution is an important concept in understanding the behavior of solutions and is widely used in various fields of science and industry.