范第姆特方程（英语：Van Deemter equation）在色谱学中是综合考虑了分离过程中引起峰展宽的物理因素、动力学因素和热力学因素后得到的单位柱长的总峰展宽与流动相流速的关系式。一般来说，影响峰展宽的因素包括多路径效应，扩散（径向的和轴向的）与固定相和流动相间的传质阻力。液相色谱中的流动相流速常取出口的流速，即体积流量与柱横截面积之比。对于填充柱来说，通常取出口横截面积为柱横截面积的0.6倍。另一种方法是用柱长与死时间的比。如果流动相是气相，还要进行温度与压强的校正。通常用理论塔板高度来表示色谱分离过程中的峰展宽。范德姆特方程呈双曲形函数的形式，表明流动相的流速存在一个最优值，在该点柱效最高。范第姆特方程是将色谱速率理论运用于色谱洗脱过程的分析中得到的。

The Van Deemter equation in chromatography relates the variance per unit length of a separation column to the linear mobile phase velocity by considering physical, kinetic, and thermodynamic properties of a separation. These properties include pathways within the column, diffusion (axial and longitudinal), and mass transfer kinetics between stationary and mobile phases. In liquid chromatography, the mobile phase velocity is taken as the exit velocity, that is, the ratio of the flow rate in ml/second to the cross-sectional area of the ‘column-exit flow path.’ For a packed column, the cross-sectional area of the column exit flow path is usually taken as 0.6 times the cross-sectional area of the column. Alternatively, the linear velocity can be taken as the ratio of the column length to the dead time. If the mobile phase is a gas, then the pressure correction must be applied. The variance per unit length of the column is taken as the ratio of the column length to the column efficiency in theoretical plates. The Van Deemter equation is a hyperbolic function that predicts that there is an optimum velocity at which there will be the minimum variance per unit column length and, thence, a maximum efficiency. The Van Deemter equation was the result of the first application of rate theory to the chromatography elution process.