Dilution
The process of adding more solvent to a solution in order to lower its concentration. How lab solutions of specific concentrations are prepared from concentrated stock solutions.
💡 Intuition
Watering down a drink—same amount of flavor, more liquid, weaker taste.
Core Idea
The moles of solute remain constant during dilution — only the volume and concentration change.
🔬 Example
🎯 Why It Matters
How lab solutions of specific concentrations are prepared from concentrated stock solutions.
⚠️ Common Confusion
Always add acid to water when diluting, never water to acid — the heat released can cause dangerous splashing.
How to Use Dilution
When this concept appears in chemistry, it usually controls how you interpret a representation, a quantity, or a change in a system. Students make faster progress when they can explain what dilution tells them before reaching for an equation or memorized phrase.
A strong self-check is to say what dilution does, what it does not do, and which nearby idea it is easiest to confuse with. That kind of explanation makes later calculations, lab reasoning, and compare pages much more reliable.
Related Concepts
Prerequisites
Next Steps
How Dilution Connects to Other Ideas
To understand dilution, you should first be comfortable with concentration. Once you have a solid grasp of dilution, you can move on to titration.
Go Deeper
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dilution in Chemistry?
The process of adding more solvent to a solution in order to lower its concentration.
Why is Dilution important?
How lab solutions of specific concentrations are prepared from concentrated stock solutions.
What do students usually get wrong about Dilution?
Always add acid to water when diluting, never water to acid — the heat released can cause dangerous splashing.
What should I learn before Dilution?
Before studying Dilution, you should understand: concentration.