Two isotopic compounds are produced in the synthesis of a new therapeutic drug which must be separated by repeated chromatography cycles. In each cycle, the solution containing both compounds must pass through a chromatography column with a length L = 80.0 cm. The column has N theoretical plates and the unadjusted relative retention is ? = 1.014. Calculate the number of theoretical plates N in the column of length L. The observed resolution is 1.51 after 17 cycles.?

Now, calculate the plate height in the column in ?m.?

Estimate the resolution in 2 cycles.