The McCabe-Thiele method is a graphical method used to determine the number of equilibrium stages trays required for an efficient separation of a binary mixture in a distillation column. To apply the McCabe-Thiele method for the separation of ethanol and water, you need to know the following information:1. Feed composition xF : Mole fraction of ethanol in the feed mixture.2. Distillate composition xD : Mole fraction of ethanol in the distillate top product .3. Bottoms composition xB : Mole fraction of ethanol in the bottoms bottom product .4. Reflux ratio R : Ratio of the liquid returned to the column as reflux to the liquid withdrawn as distillate.5. Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium VLE data for the ethanol-water system at the operating pressure.Once you have this information, follow these steps to determine the minimum number of trays required:Step 1: Plot the VLE curveUsing the VLE data for the ethanol-water system, plot the equilibrium curve y = f x on a graph with the mole fraction of ethanol in the liquid phase x on the x-axis and the mole fraction of ethanol in the vapor phase y on the y-axis.Step 2: Draw the q-lineThe q-line represents the feed condition. The slope of the q-line is determined by the feed quality q , which is the ratio of moles of liquid in the feed to the total moles in the feed. If the feed is a saturated liquid, q = 1, and the q-line will have a slope of 1. If the feed is a saturated vapor, q = 0, and the q-line will be horizontal. Draw the q-line starting from the point xF, xF with the appropriate slope.Step 3: Draw the rectifying and stripping operating linesThe rectifying operating line represents the balance between the vapor and liquid in the rectifying section above the feed tray . The stripping operating line represents the balance between the vapor and liquid in the stripping section below the feed tray . The slopes of these lines are determined by the reflux ratio R and the internal flow rates in the column. The equations for the operating lines are:Rectifying line: y = R / R + 1 x + xD / R + 1 Stripping line: y = L'/V' x + xB * L'/V' Where L' and V' are the liquid and vapor flow rates in the stripping section, respectively. Draw these lines on the same graph as the VLE curve and q-line.Step 4: Perform the McCabe-Thiele graphical constructionStarting from the point xD, xD on the x-axis, draw a horizontal line to the VLE curve. Then, draw a vertical line from the intersection point on the VLE curve to the rectifying operating line. Repeat this process of drawing horizontal and vertical lines alternately between the VLE curve and the operating lines until you reach the stripping operating line. The number of horizontal lines excluding the first one starting from xD represents the minimum number of trays required for the desired separation efficiency.Note that this method assumes constant molar overflow and ideal behavior of the mixture. For non-ideal mixtures, modifications to the McCabe-Thiele method may be required.