Safety
Calculator limitations
What the Preparation Calculator on each compound page does and does not do, in one place.
- Last updated:
- 2026-07-22
Overview
The Preparation Calculator on each compound page performs arithmetic. It divides vial mass by diluent volume to compute concentration, and it converts a reported research amount into an equivalent volume at that concentration. Every syringe-unit output is derived from those two operations.
The calculator does not verify anything about the physical vial in front of you. It does not know whether the vial contains the mass the label claims, whether the material is pure, whether it is sterile, whether it is the correct molecule, whether the diluent is appropriate, whether the reader is an appropriate candidate for the compound, or whether the reported amount is safe for anyone.
Why it matters
Trusting the calculator's output is not the same as trusting the vial. The number the calculator produces is correct arithmetic on the inputs it was given; the inputs are what require verification.
Key concepts
Arithmetic only
Concentration = mass ÷ volume. Volume required = amount ÷ concentration. Syringe reading = volume × 100 for U-100. Nothing else.
Example values are from cited sources
The example vial mass and diluent volume on a compound page match the practitioner reference or peer-reviewed source cited on the same page. Changing the inputs changes the arithmetic but not the source.
No transmission
The calculator runs entirely in the browser. It does not accept, store, or transmit the values a reader enters.
Common misconceptions
- "The calculator recommends a dose." It does not. It converts a reported amount into a volume.
- "The calculator verifies the vial." It does not. It trusts the mass on the label.
- "A believable output means correct inputs." It does not. Arithmetic is agnostic to whether the inputs are right.
Practical interpretation
Use the calculator as a calculator. Verify each input independently. When the output disagrees with the underlying source, treat the disagreement as a signal that an input is wrong.
Limitations
The calculator cannot detect a mislabelled vial, a wrong diluent, a wrong syringe scale, or an inappropriate compound for the reader. Those are decisions outside the arithmetic.