Sphere Volume Calculator
Sphere Calculator works out Volume and Surface area from Known value, Length unit and Density (optional). The default figures on this page give volume of 4.18879; change any entry and the result, the working and the sources update together.
Your figures
Updates as you typeHow this is worked out
5 steps
- Known: radius = 1 cm
- Radius r = 1 cm
- Surface area A = 4 pi r^2 = 4 x pi x 1 = 12.566371 cm^2
- Volume V = (4/3) pi r^3 = (4/3) x pi x 1 = 4.1887902 cm^3
- Great-circle circumference C = 2 pi r = 6.2831853 cm
Its 4 worked examples are re-run on every release, last on 15 September 2026. What changed
What the Sphere Calculator calculates
Solves a sphere completely from any one of radius, diameter, circumference, surface area or volume, with capacity and weight.
How to use this Sphere Calculator
Enter Known value, Length unit, Density (optional) and Density unit. Volume updates as you type, and “Use a worked example” loads checked figures you can adjust. 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, Surface area and Radius.
The method follows Weisstein, Eric W. "Sphere." MathWorld — A Wolfram Web Resource, NIST Digital Library of Mathematical Functions, 4.14 (elementary mensuration) and NIST Special Publication 811 (unit factors used for capacity and mass output).
Unit sphere (radius 1) example
With What do you know?: radius, Known value: 1, Length unit: cm, the calculator returns Volume: 4.1887902, Surface area: 12.5663706, Great-circle circumference: 6.28318531. This example is checked against an independent source in the test suite.
What you can compare
Change one input at a time to see how it affects Volume, Surface area and Radius. The inputs you can vary are Known value, 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 sphere?
Solves a sphere completely from any one of radius, diameter, circumference, surface area or volume, with capacity and weight. Open “How this is worked out” beside the result to see each step for your own figures.
Why is it 4:3 for volume of a sphere?
Solves a sphere completely from any one of radius, diameter, circumference, surface area or volume, with capacity and weight. On the figures this page opens with — known value 1 — the volume is 4.18879. Put your own figures in their place and the working updates beside the result.
What is the volume of a 2 inch sphere?
On the figures this page opens with — known value 1 — the volume is 4.18879. No single number fits everyone: change any figure above and the answer updates as you type, with each step of the arithmetic beside it.
How do you calculate the volume of a sphere without using calculus?
It needs Known value, Length unit, Density (optional) and Density unit. Nothing else is required, and the figures stay in your browser.
What is the formula for calculating the volume of a sphere?
Solves a sphere completely from any one of radius, diameter, circumference, surface area or volume, with capacity and weight. On this page it is computed from Known value, Length unit and Density (optional) and shown as Volume, Surface area and Radius.
What information do I need for the Sphere Calculator?
You need Known value, Length unit, Density (optional) and Density unit. The page opens with default figures that give volume of 4.18879, so you can see the scale before entering your own.