The retention volume for two solutes (A) and (B), will be given as follow,

                          V_{r(A) =} V_m + K_(A)V_S  + V_{E                         (17)}

_and                        V_{r(B) =} V_m + K_(B)V_S  + V_{E                        (18)}

The corrected retention volumes will be,

                             V'_r(A) =  K_(A)V_S                                         (19)

and                        V'_r(B) =  K_(B)V_S                                          (20)

For two solutes (A) and(B) to be separated their retention volumes must differ, i.e.,

                      V_{r(A)  < >} V_{r(B)    and}     V_{r(A)  ≠} V_r(B)