P1_9 Can a Ladybird Stand on Water?

Abstract

In this paper we investigated whether, due to the surface tension of water, a ladybird will be able to hold itself up on top of a still pond and calculated the contact angle between the end of the ladybird’s leg and the water. By using the definition of force from surface tension, we have determined that the ladybird can stand on the water, with a contact angle of 69◦(2s.f).