A response surface modeling approach for simultaneous optimization of optical purity and yield wasapplied to the resolution of tartaric acid to study the effects of both the amount of the solvent and the amountof the resolving agent α-methylbenzyl amine on the resolution results. The direction of changing the experimen-tal conditions was determined from the initial response study, and expected high yield of the pure L(+)-tartaricacid-L(-)-α-methylbenzyl amine salt was obtained.