Theoretical plate is
a term coined by Martin & Synge.
It is based on a study in which they imagined that chromatographic
columns were analogous to
distillation columns and made up or
numerous discrete but connected narrow layers or plates. Movement of the solute down the column
then could be treated as a
stepwise transfer. Theoretical plates (N) measure how efficiently a column can separate a
mixture into its components. This
efficiency is based on the
retention time of the components and the width of the peaks.The Theoretical Plate