Cylinder Calculator

Volume, surface area, and the label that peels off flat.

Volume, surface area, and the label that peels off flat. Volume is the base area times the height, exactly as for any prism.

Written and maintained by Mohit PatelLast checked August 4, 2026How we build these

Radius

Height

Volume (units³)

282.7433

Surface area 245.0442 units²

Volume282.7433 units³

Surface area245.0442 units²

Lateral (side) area188.4956 units²

Base area28.2743 units²

If units are cm0.283 litres

Volume is the base area times the height, exactly as for any prism. The side unrolls into a rectangle as tall as the cylinder and as wide as the circumference, which is why the lateral area is 2πrh — 188.4956 units² here — and why a label peels off flat.

How the Cylinder Calculator works

Volume is the base area times the height, exactly as for any prism. The curved side unrolls into a rectangle as tall as the cylinder and as wide as its circumference, which is why the lateral area is 2πrh, and why a tin's label comes off flat.

Also known as: volume of a cylinder · cylinder surface area · tank volume calculator · cylinder volume formula

Where to go next

The Cylinder question rarely arrives on its own. These are the ones that usually come with it:

Cone Calculator — Volume by vertical height, surface area by slant height.
Volume Calculator — Six shapes, with the litre conversion built in.
Sphere Calculator — Volume and surface area, and why one is the derivative of the other.
Percentage Calculator — Every common percentage question in one place.

Sources

NIST Digital Library of Mathematical Functions

Frequently asked questions

How do I find the volume of a cylinder?

Multiply the base area, πr², by the height. A radius of 3 and a height of 10 give 90π, or 282.74 cubic units.

What is the surface area of a cylinder?

The curved side plus both circular ends: 2πrh + 2πr². For a radius of 3 and height of 10 that is 245.04 square units.

How many litres does my tank hold?

If you measure in centimetres, divide the cubic centimetres by 1,000. This page shows that conversion directly.

Why is the side area 2πrh?

Because the curved surface unrolls into a rectangle. Its height is the cylinder's height and its width is the circumference, 2πr.

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