Condensation of Water Vapor on Various Surfaces Was Studied Experimentally. for Surfaces with an Air-Water Contact Angle Theta Less Than 20 Degree, the Experimentally Determined Values of Critical Supersaturation S//c Agreed with Those Given by the Volmer Theory. at Higher Theta, the Experimental Values of S//c Were Below the Volmer Theory Values. When the Applied Supersaturation Was Less Than S//c, Condensation Was Avoided for Periods as Long as 20 H. It Was Determined Both by Experiment and Theoretical Analysis that the Effect of Surface Roughness is to Decrease S//c Only Slightly. These Results Suggest that Most Insoluble Airborne Particles Are Not Likely to Serve as Cloud Condensation Nuclei.