The energy necessary to create a surface big enough to surround all atoms of a liquid is the enthalpy of boiling. This is a recent result and is pretty accurate for a large range of substances http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enthalpy_of_vaporization#Physical_model_for_vaporization .
So, at boiling pressures, the bubble will decrease indefinitely since the energy is enough to break surface tension up to atomic scales. If that doesn`t happen, pressure will just increase, so that equilibrium is reached and boiling temperature is raised. 2011/11/19 Alan Fletcher <a...@well.com> > In small bubbles or small drops, surface tension is dominant. > > Pressure changes, so the PVT equilibrium can be different. > > I have a link somewhere for this .... I'm not sure if I put in my tube > boiler analysis. > And for the life of me, I can't remember if small drops grow or shrink in > a particular PT environment. (There's a named formula). > >
