Past exam of the atmospheric physics course of the University of Cambridge / 2014 / Paper 1 / 2 / a / Solution

A convex water surface has higher saturation vapour pressure than a flat one. Equality of chemical potentials with the Laplace pressure $2\sigma /r$ gives the Kelvin equationSmall pure droplets therefore need large supersaturation; many subcritical embryos evaporate, making homogeneous droplet formation inefficient under ordinary cloud conditions. Cloud condensation nuclei provide a surface and, when soluble, lower water activity. Köhler theory combines the curvature increase with this solute decrease, giving a critical supersaturation and size for activation.