Floats migrate across explicit page breaks

Goal

Bind large figures and tables to the page created by an explicit \clearpage boundary in a long LaTeX document.

Uncertainty

\clearpage ends the current output page, but it does not automatically flush or trap pending floats. LaTeX's float algorithm may move a figure or table to a later page even when the source appears immediately before the break. Packages such as hyperref or geometry can further change page geometry and float behavior, making the final position hard to predict from source order alone.

Does \clearpage act as a hard barrier for the float queue? Which factors determine whether a float stays on the break page versus drifting forward? How can the final float location be verified without altering document structure?