diluutio

Diluutio (dilution) is the process of reducing the concentration of a solute in a solution by adding solvent or by removing a portion of the solution and replacing it with solvent. The concept is widely used in chemistry, biology, medicine, and environmental science to prepare samples, calibrators, and reagents.

Two common approaches are serial dilution and two-point dilution. In a serial dilution, the substance is diluted stepwise by a fixed factor at each stage, producing a dilution series that spans a range of concentrations. In a two-point dilution, the final concentration is determined from the dilution equation C1V1=C2V2.

Applications include preparing samples for analytical measurements, generating calibration curves, and enabling microbiological assays such as plate counts or antibiotic susceptibility tests. Dilution is also used to bring highly concentrated reagents into workable ranges and to reduce exposure to hazardous substances.

Key practical considerations are accurate and precise pipetting, solvent choice and compatibility, and minimizing evaporation and contamination. Errors propagate along dilution series, and factors such as temperature can affect concentration. Reporting often uses dilution factor or dilution ratio for clarity.

Overall, dilution is a foundational technique in laboratory science, balancing accuracy, safety, and instrument sensitivity.