OD260/230 Nucleic Acid Purity Ratio Calculator

OD260/230 Nucleic Acid Purity Ratio Calculator | Online Free Tool | Elysia Tools

Tool usage guide

Learn when to use this tool, what it supports, and how real users apply it.

Key facts

Category: Education
Input types: select, number
Output type: json
Sample coverage: 4
API ready: Yes

Overview

The OD260/230 Nucleic Acid Purity Ratio Calculator evaluates salt and organic-solvent carryover in DNA or RNA samples from A260 and A230 absorbance readings. Enter an optional A280 value for an A260/280 cross-check, choose the nucleic acid type, and receive a concise JSON result for educational use.

When to use

Check whether a DNA or RNA preparation may contain guanidinium, phenol, EDTA, or salt carryover.
Review the purity of samples extracted with TRIzol or column-based purification kits.
Add an optional A260/280 cross-check when you want a second nucleic acid purity indicator.

How it works

1Choose DNA or RNA as the nucleic acid type.
2Enter A260 and A230 absorbance values measured from the same diluted sample.
3Optionally enter A280, or use 0 to skip the A260/280 cross-check.
4The calculator divides A260 by A230, compares the result with the 2.0–2.2 clean range, and returns the ratio and interpretation in JSON.

Use cases

Screening column-purified plasmid DNA for guanidinium or salt carryover.
Checking TRIzol-derived RNA before downstream molecular biology work.
Comparing OD260/230 and optional OD260/280 results during nucleic acid quality review.

Examples

1. Clean plasmid with an OD260/230 ratio of 2.00

Molecular biology researcher

Background

A column-purified plasmid has A260 of 0.5, A230 of 0.25, and A280 of 0.278.

Problem

Confirm that the plasmid does not show evidence of salt or organic-solvent carryover.

How to use

Select DNA, enter 0.5 for A260, 0.25 for A230, 0.278 for A280, and set decimal places to 2.

{"nucleicAcidType":"DNA","a260":0.5,"a230":0.25,"a280":0.278,"decimalPlaces":2}

Outcome

The calculator returns OD260/230 = 2.0, indicating a clean result with no organic or salt carryover indicated. The optional OD260/280 cross-check is 1.8, consistent with clean DNA.

2. TRIzol RNA with a low OD260/230 ratio

RNA laboratory technician

Background

An RNA preparation from TRIzol has A260 of 0.60, A230 of 1.20, and A280 of 0.36.

Problem

Identify whether the sample shows residual guanidinium, phenol, or salt contamination before further use.

How to use

Select RNA, enter 0.60 for A260, 1.20 for A230, 0.36 for A280, and set decimal places to 3.

FAQ

What does the OD260/230 ratio measure?

It helps indicate contamination from salts and organic compounds such as guanidinium or phenol.

What is a clean OD260/230 ratio?

A ratio of approximately 2.0–2.2 is generally associated with clean nucleic acid.

What does a ratio below 2.0 mean?

It suggests possible guanidinium, phenol, EDTA, or salt carryover.

Is A280 required?

No. A280 is optional; enter 0 to skip the A260/280 cross-check.

Does DNA or RNA selection change the OD260/230 expectation?

No. The OD260/230 expectation is the same for DNA and RNA, while the selection tunes the optional A260/280 cross-check.

{"nucleicAcidType":"RNA","a260":0.6,"a230":1.2,"a280":0.36,"decimalPlaces":3}

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Learn when to use this tool, what it supports, and how real users apply it.

Key facts

Overview

When to use

How it works

Use cases

Examples

1. Clean plasmid with an OD260/230 ratio of 2.00

2. TRIzol RNA with a low OD260/230 ratio

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