Using a Pipette and Diluting a Solution

In our assessment, the concentration of our sample (e.g. apple juice) will be too large for analysis. We will need to dilute this solution. However, we need to maintain our precision and accuracy. Therefore, there is a particular way we dilute solutions in Chemistry:

1. Rinse a beaker with the solution you want to dilute.
2. Rinse a pipette with the solution you want to dilute.
3. Rinse a volumetric flask with distilled water.
4. Pipette the desired volume of the solution into the volumetric flask.
5. Make up to the line with distilled water.
6. Name and label the volumetric flask.

The pipette and volumetric flask need to be appropriate volumes for the desired dilution. For example, for a 10% dilution factor, we often use a 20.0mL pipette and a 200.0mL volumetric flask.