The cylinder volume calculator computes volume (V = πr²h), total surface area, and lateral surface area from radius and height. Supports metric and imperial units with volume in multiple formats.
Cylinder Volume & Surface Area Calculator
How to Calculate Cylinder Volume
A cylinder has two circular bases and a curved lateral surface. Knowing the radius and height gives all its geometric properties.
Volume Formula
V = πr²h. A soda can with r=3.3 cm and h=10.4 cm: V = π × 10.89 × 10.4 = 355.8 cm³ ≈ 355 mL. The 1 cm³ = 1 mL equivalence makes this easy for liquid volumes.
Surface Area
Total SA = 2πr² + 2πrh = 2πr(r+h). The 2πr² covers the two circular ends, 2πrh is the lateral surface (unrolled = rectangle with width 2πr and height h). For our soda can: TSA = 2π×10.89 + 2π×3.3×10.4 = 68.4 + 215.7 = 284.1 cm².
Unit Conversions
If entering in cm, volume is in cm³ = mL. For liters, divide by 1000. For gallons (US), divide cm³ by 3785.4. For cubic inches, divide cm³ by 16.387. The calculator shows the most relevant conversions automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the formula for cylinder volume?
V = π × r² × h, where r is the base radius and h is the height. Example: a can with radius 3.5 cm and height 11.5 cm: V = π × 12.25 × 11.5 ≈ 442.7 cm³ ≈ 442.7 mL ≈ 14.97 fl oz. Standard 355 mL soda can: r ≈ 3.3 cm, h ≈ 10.4 cm.
What is the surface area of a cylinder?
Total surface area = 2πr² + 2πrh = 2πr(r + h). The 2πr² accounts for the two circular ends, and 2πrh is the lateral (side) surface. If you unroll the cylinder, the side becomes a rectangle with width 2πr (circumference) and height h.
Is this calculator free?
Yes, completely free with no signup required. All calculations run in your browser.
Is my data private?
Yes. All calculations run locally. Nothing is transmitted.
How do you convert between cubic units?
1 L = 1000 cm³ = 1000 mL. 1 m³ = 1,000,000 cm³. 1 gallon ≈ 3785 cm³ ≈ 3.785 L. 1 ft³ ≈ 28,317 cm³ ≈ 28.32 L. The calculator provides results in multiple volume units automatically.