What Is a Cylinder Volume Calculator?
A cylinder is a three-dimensional solid with two parallel circular bases joined by a curved surface. This calculator finds the volume — the amount of space inside the cylinder — from just two measurements: the radius of the circular base and the height. It also reports the base area, the lateral (side) surface area, and the total surface area, all using the same inputs.
How to Use It
Enter the radius (r) of the circular base and the height (h) of the cylinder in the same unit (for example, both in centimetres). Press calculate to get the volume in cubic units. Because the formula is dimensionally consistent, if you input centimetres the volume will be in cubic centimetres; metres give cubic metres, and so on.
The Formula Explained
The volume of a cylinder is given by:
$$V = \pi r^{2} h$$
The term \(\pi r^{2}\) is the area of the circular base, and multiplying by the height \(h\) "stacks" that area through the length of the cylinder to fill the solid. The constant \(\pi\) (pi) is approximately \(3.14159\).
Worked Example
Suppose a cylinder has a radius of 5 units and a height of 10 units. Then:
$$V = \pi \times 5^{2} \times 10 = \pi \times 25 \times 10 = 250\pi \approx 785.40 \text{ cubic units}$$
The base area is \(\pi \times 25 \approx 78.54\) square units, and the total surface area is \(2\pi \times 5 \times (5 + 10) = 150\pi \approx 471.24\) square units.
FAQ
What units does the result use? Whatever unit you enter for radius and height, the volume comes out in that unit cubed.
Does the radius use the diameter? No — use the radius, which is half the diameter. If you only know the diameter, divide it by 2 first.
What if my cylinder is hollow or a pipe? This tool computes a solid cylinder. For a hollow tube, calculate the outer cylinder volume and subtract the inner cylinder volume.
