The load supported by small floating objects.

We consider the equilibrium flotation of a two-dimensional cylinder and a sphere at an interface between two fluids. We give conditions on the density and radius of these objects for them to be able to float at the interface and discuss the role played by the contact angle in determining these conditions. For cylinders with a small radius, we find that the maximum density is independent of contact angle but that, for spheres, the contact angle enters at leading order in the particle radius. Our theoretical predictions are in agreement with experimental results.