Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mphil-in-micro-and-nanotechnology-enterprise-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/paper-1/section-b/10/iii/a/solution
Past exam of the MPhil in micro- and nanotechnology enterprise course of the University of Cambridge 2017 Paper 1 Section B 10 iii a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
For a convex droplet, the Kelvin equation gives . Smaller droplets therefore require a higher equilibrium vapor pressure. At a common ambient vapor pressure, sufficiently small droplets evaporate while larger ones can grow, transferring material through the vapor. Ostwald ripening decreases the droplet count and increases a characteristic surviving radius. Direct collision and coalescence can also reduce the count but are a distinct mechanism. In a closed container the final state depends on total liquid/vapor inventory and volume; an initially undersaturated, liquid-poor system can lose all droplets rather than indefinitely grow a large one.
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