# You are given a NaCl solution that has a volume of 100.0 mL. You dilute this solution to a total...

## Question:

You are given a NaCl solution that has a volume of 100.0 mL. You dilute this solution to a total volume of 900.0 mL. The final concentration of the diluted solution is 0.540 M. What was the concentration of the original NaCl solution before dilution?

## Dilution:

Dilution is a technique performed in experiments or laboratories where the objective is to have a lower concentration for your solution. It is commonly performed by increasing the total volume of your initial solution by adding distilled water (acting as the diluent) and will give a lower concentration than the initial concentration.

The equation for dilution is:

{eq}\rm C_1V_1=C_2V_2 {/eq}

where:

{eq}\rm C_1 {/eq} is the initial concentration

{eq}\rm V_1 {/eq} is the initial volume

{eq}\rm C_2 {/eq} is the final concentration

{eq}\rm V_2 {/eq} is the final volume

We can substitute the given values to determine the initial concentration of the NaCl solution. Remember that the total volume is equal to 900.0 mL which acts as the final volume.

{eq}\rm C_1V_1=C_2V_2 {/eq}

{eq}\rm C_1\left(100.0\:mL\times \frac{1\:L}{1000\:mL}\right)=\left(0.540\:M\right)\left(900.0\:mL\times \:\frac{1\:L}{1000\:mL}\right) {/eq}

{eq}\rm C_1=4.86\:M {/eq}

{eq}\underline{ \rm Conclusion:} {/eq}

The initial concentration is equal to 4.86 M.