How It Works
This checker works in 4 steps.
Enter the stock side
Type C₁ and V₁ as recorded.
Enter the result side
Type C₂ (stated or measured) and V₂.
Set the tolerance
Type the allowed deviation, such as ±2%.
Read the balance
The checker returns the solute in, solute out, percent balance, and a pass or check flag.
The Formula
The formula divides the solute amount out by the solute amount in.
Q_in = C₁ × V₁Q_out = C₂ × V₂%B = 100 × Q_out / Q_in- Q_in / Q_out:
- Solute amount before and after
- %B:
- Mass balance percent
- Tolerance:
- Allowed deviation from 100%
10 mL of 10 mM stock holds 100 µmol. A final 100 mL at 0.95 mM holds 95 µmol. The balance is 95%, outside a ±2% tolerance.
Conversion Table
The conversion table checks 6 recorded dilutions against a ±2% tolerance (C × V in shared units).
| Stock C₁ × V₁ | Final C₂ × V₂ | Solute in | Solute out | Balance | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 | 1 × 100 | 100 | 100 | 100% | Pass |
| 10 × 10 | 0.95 × 100 | 100 | 95 | 95% | Check |
| 5 × 20 | 1 × 100 | 100 | 100 | 100% | Pass |
| 100 × 1 | 0.8 × 100 | 100 | 80 | 80% | Check |
| 2 × 50 | 1 × 100 | 100 | 100 | 100% | Pass |
| 1 × 5 | 0.051 × 100 | 5 | 5.1 | 102% | Pass |
What Is the Dilution Mass Balance Checker?
The Dilution Mass Balance Checker is a tool that compares the amount of a tracked solute going into a dilution with the amount found in the result, and flags any mismatch beyond a set tolerance. In a correct dilution, C₁ × V₁ equals C₂ × V₂.
Mass balance catches unit mix-ups, wrong volumes, and recording errors before a solution goes into use. The checker computes the percent balance, compares it with a tolerance such as ±2%, and points to the input most likely to hold the error.
Common Uses
There are 5 main uses of this checker.
Record review
Reviewers check notebook dilutions before sign-off.
Unit error detection
Users catch mM and µM mix-ups that cause 1,000-fold gaps.
Measured QC
Labs compare measured C₂ against the expected amount.
Staff training
Trainers use balance checks to teach solute conservation.
Batch release
Production teams confirm batches before release.