Cylinder Volume Formula Calculator
Cylinder Volume Calculator works out Volume of material and Internal capacity from Measurement supplied, Outer radius or diameter and Height / length. The default figures on this page give volume of material of 62.831853; change any entry and the result, the working and the sources update together.
Your figures
Updates as you typeHow this is worked out
4 steps
- Outer radius R = 2 cm, height/length h = 5 cm
- Volume V = pi r^2 h = pi x 4 x 5 = 62.831853 cm^3
- Curved surface = 2 pi R h = 62.831853 cm^2
- Total surface = curved + 2 x end face = 62.831853 + 2 x 12.566371 = 87.964594 cm^2
Its 6 worked examples are re-run on every release, last on 15 September 2026. What changed
What the Cylinder Volume Calculator calculates
Computes volume, surface area, capacity, weight and partial-fill volume for solid or hollow cylinders and cylindrical tanks.
How to use this Cylinder Volume Calculator
Enter Measurement supplied, Outer radius or diameter, Height / length and Length unit. Volume of material updates as you type. Change one figure at a time to see what drives the result.
How the result is worked out
Open “How this is worked out” beside the result for the step-by-step calculation behind Volume of material, Internal capacity and Lateral (curved) surface area.
The method follows Weisstein, Eric W. "Cylinder." MathWorld — A Wolfram Web Resource, Weisstein, Eric W. "Circular Segment." MathWorld (horizontal tank partial-fill area) and NIST Special Publication 811 (unit factors used for capacity and mass output).
What you can compare
Change one input at a time to see how it affects Volume of material, Internal capacity and Lateral (curved) surface area. The inputs you can vary are Measurement supplied, Outer radius or diameter, Height / length, Length unit, Density (optional) and Density unit.
Results are general information, not financial, tax, legal, medical or engineering advice. Check any decision that matters with a qualified professional.
See something wrong? Report a problem with this calculator
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the volume of a cylinder?
Computes volume, surface area, capacity, weight and partial-fill volume for solid or hollow cylinders and cylindrical tanks. Open “How this is worked out” beside the result to see each step for your own figures.
How to calculate gallons of water in a cylinder?
It needs Measurement supplied, Outer radius or diameter, Height / length, Length unit, Density (optional) and Density unit. Nothing else is required, and the figures stay in your browser.
How do I calculate the volume of a cylinder in cubic inches?
The result gives Volume of material, Internal capacity, Lateral (curved) surface area, End-face area, Total surface area and Outer radius, each labelled with its unit so the figure can be read on its own.
How do I calculate the volume of a cylinder in gallons using inches?
The page opens with worked default figures: volume of material of 62.831853. Replace them with your own and every figure updates as you type.
How do you calculate volume for a cylinder?
The method comes from Weisstein, Eric W. "Cylinder." MathWorld — A Wolfram Web Resource, Weisstein, Eric W. "Circular Segment." MathWorld (horizontal tank partial-fill area) and NIST Special Publication 811 (unit factors used for capacity and mass output), listed in full under Sources so the figures can be checked against the original.
How do I calculate the volume of a horizontal cylinder tank?
Every step of the arithmetic is shown beside the result, so the answer can be followed line by line instead of taken on trust.