This article presents a direct measurement of the growth angle during the growth of a cylindrical 2 in silicon crystal using a radio-frequency heated floating zone process. From the high-resolution pictures taken during the process, this growth angle was evaluated to be 11 degrees +/- 2 degrees. Furthermore, the free surface of the melt was modeled using the Laplace-Young equation. This model has to include the electromagnetic pressure calculated by the surface ring currents approximation. The results were compared to the experimental free surface derived from video frames. It could be shown that the calculated free surface will only fit the experimentally determined one if the right growth angle is considered. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.