Carolina has created this online reference guide to help you prepare solutions. Although many types of solutions may be purchased from Carolina, you may wish to prepare them yourself. The procedures in this guide allow you to make almost any solution required in your laboratory.

Keep a printed version of this manual in a convenient location and refer to it often.

Remember: Always follow appropriate lab safety procedures when mixing and storing chemicals.

Listed below are solutions of several common chemicals. To prepare one of these solutions, slowly add the necessary ingredients to a 1-L volumetric flask half-filled with distilled or deionized water. Allow the ingredients to dissolve completely, swirling the flask gently if necessary. Once the solute is completely dissolved and the solution is at room temperature, dilute to the mark with water. Invert the flask several times to mix.

For your convenience, we have given the Carolina catalog numbers for all the listed reagents. For the liquids, we have referenced the 500 mL size of the reagent- (or ACS-) grade chemical packaged in a plastic-coated safety bottle. For sodium hydroxide, we have listed the 500 g size of the reagent-grade chemical. Other sizes and grades may be available. Please consult our catalog for a complete listing.