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A 96-well plate does not have one volume. Each product states a total well volume (what the well can physically hold) and a smaller recommended working volume (what the maker says to fill). For the Corning flat-bottom clear plate (catalog 3628) the total is 360 µL and the working range is 75-200 µL. The Corning V-bottom plate (catalog 3898) shares the 75-200 µL working range, but its own product page states its total volume two different ways, 330 µL and 380 µL, which is a good reason to read the datasheet for the exact catalog number you hold.
Who uses it: bench scientists running plate-based assays and cell culture, core-facility staff, and lab managers or buyers matching a plate to an assay and an instrument.
What the volume numbers on a 96-well plate mean
Total (well) volume is the most a single well can hold. Recommended working volume is the range the manufacturer advises using, and it sits below the total. On catalog 3628 Corning lists “Well Volume: 360 µL” and “Recommended Working Volume: 75-200 µL”; as a calculation from those two figures, the top of the working range is about 56% of the total, so a well filled to its brim holds well over the recommended maximum. The same page lists a separate “Recommended Medium Well Volume” of 100-200 µL, so a plate can carry more than one recommended figure and the label matters.
How a 96-well plate is built
Corning’s catalog groups these products as 96-well clear polystyrene microplates. The features that change the volume figures and the handling are the well bottom shape (flat, round or V), the surface treatment, and whether the plate ships sterile with a lid. The footprint and well spacing are fixed by separate standards and say nothing about volume; they are covered in 96-well plate dimensions. For the format in general, see what a microplate is.
Published volumes for two common 96-well plates
The table shows the manufacturer’s published figures for two Corning plates. They are product specifications, not a universal value for all 96-well plates.
| Plate (Corning catalog no.) | Well bottom | Total well volume | Recommended working volume | Other stated figures | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3628, 96-well clear, TC-treated, sterile, with lid | Flat | 360 µL | 75-200 µL | Medium well volume 100-200 µL; growth area approx. 0.32 cm² | Corning 3628 |
| 3898, 96-well clear, treated, nonsterile, without lid | V | 330 µL (feature list) or 380 µL (product table) | 75-200 µL | Growth area not stated | Corning 3898 |
Flat, round and V bottoms
Corning’s 96-well clear listing sorts its plates by well bottom: flat for catalog 3300, round for 3358 and 3360, V for 3894 and 3896-3898, and flat “half area” plates for 3690 and 3695-3697. That listing does not give volumes, so the figures for each variant come from its own product page. The two plates in the table already show that a change of bottom and treatment comes with different figures: 360 µL for the flat plate against 330 or 380 µL for the V-bottom plate.
How to check the volume for your plate
- Find the catalog number on the packaging or purchase record and open the manufacturer’s page or datasheet for that exact number.
- Read the total well volume and the recommended working volume separately, and note any other labelled figure such as a medium volume.
- If a page gives two totals, as the 3898 page does (330 µL in the feature list, 380 µL in the table), confirm against the printed datasheet or ask the supplier before building a protocol on either number.
- For culture work, the 0.32 cm² growth area stated for catalog 3628 is the surface figure to compare with other vessels; see cell culture reference numbers.
Common mistakes
- Filling to the total volume. The manufacturer’s working range is lower than the brim volume.
- Carrying one plate’s numbers to another. Flat and V-bottom Corning plates in the table differ in total volume, and the 3898 page contradicts itself.
- Using a figure from another maker’s table. Published volumes belong to a product line. A 384-well plate has very different values; see 384-well plate volume.
- Mixing up the footprint standard with volume. The plate-size standards fix outside dimensions and well positions, not capacity.
FAQ
How much volume does a 96-well plate hold?
It depends on the product. Corning’s flat-bottom clear plate (3628) lists a 360 µL well volume with a 75-200 µL recommended working volume. Its V-bottom plate (3898) lists 75-200 µL for working volume and 330 or 380 µL for total volume on the same page.
What is the difference between well volume and working volume?
Well volume is the most a well can hold. Working volume is the manufacturer-recommended fill range, which is smaller.
Does the well bottom change the volume?
The published figures differ between the flat and V-bottom Corning plates above, so check the catalog number rather than assuming one value for all 96-well plates.
Does the 96-well plate standard specify volume?
No. The ANSI/SLAS microplate standards cover footprint, height and well positions; see 96-well plate dimensions. Volume comes from the manufacturer’s specification. Readers using plates in an instrument may also want what a plate reader is.
Sources
- Corning, 96-well Clear Flat Bottom TC-treated Microplate, catalog 3628, product page, checked 2026-10-29.
- Corning, 96-well Clear V-Bottom Treated Microplate, catalog 3898, product page, checked 2026-10-29.
- Corning, 96-well Clear Polystyrene Microplates, catalog listing (well bottom by catalog number), checked 2026-10-29.
- SLAS, ANSI/SLAS microplate standards (1-2004 footprint, 2-2004 height, 3-2004 bottom outside flange, 4-2004 well positions), page checked 2026-10-29.
