Will it float? Using cylindrical disks and rods to measure and model capillary forces.

The flotation of small polymer disks in lower-density liquids was studied. A disk or rod was placed in a clear container, and liquid was slowly added. The progression of liquid rising and ultimately floating or engulfing the rod was observed. It was found that the maximum rod length that would float on a given liquid decreased with increasing rod diameter. It was possible to float larger disks and rods by increasing the liquid surface tension or by decreasing the density difference between the liquid and the solid. A simple analytical model allowed the prediction of the maximum flotation length from material properties.