The dilution process is an important technique used in chemistry to decrease the concentration of a solution by increasing its volume. In this method, more solvent, usually water, is added to a given amount of a more concentrated solution. This does not change the amount of solute present but significantly increases the total volume of the solution.
This process is especially useful when dealing with solutions that need to be measured accurately, like in the preparation of dilute solutions from a concentrated stock. Here's how it typically works:
- Start with a known concentration and volume of the stock solution.
- Add a specific volume of solvent to reach the desired lower concentration.
- Calculate the new concentration using the formula: where and are the initial concentration and volume, and and are the final concentration and volume.
Using a series of dilutions, just as described in the original exercise, is common practice when the final desired concentration is extremely low. This step-by-step dilution avoids the need to measure very small amounts directly, which can result in significant errors.