Question

A lab technician diluted 10 uL of a 50X sample with enough solvent to reach a final volume of 20 mL. What is the new concentration of the sample?

Answer 1

The new concentration of the sample is m₂ = 0.025X

Explanation:

The relation between previous concentration and new concentration of the sample is given by

m₁v₁ = m₂v₂

Where m denotes the concentration and v denotes the volume in liters.

Re-arranging the above equation for m₂ yields,

m₂ = (m₁v₁)/v₂

Substitute the given values

m₁ = 50X

v₁ = 10 μL = 10×10⁻⁶ L

v₂ = 20 mL = 20×10⁻³ L

So the new concentration is

m₂ = (m₁v₁)/v₂

m₂ = (50X*10×10⁻⁶)/20×10⁻³

m₂ = 0.025X

Therefore, the new concentration of the sample is 0.025X