Cylinder Calculator

The volume of a cylinder is V = π × r² × h, where r is the radius of the circular base and h is the height. Multiply pi (≈ 3.14159) by the square of the radius, then by the height to get the volume in cubic units.

The lateral surface area (L = 2πrh) is the area of the curved side of the cylinder only, like the label on a can. The total surface area (A = 2πr² + 2πrh) includes both circular end caps plus the curved side, representing the full exterior area.

Rearrange the volume formula: h = V / (π × r²). Divide the known volume by pi times the radius squared to solve for the height.

Rearrange the volume formula: r = √(V / (π × h)). Divide the volume by pi times the height, then take the square root of the result.

A right circular cylinder is a 3D solid with two parallel, congruent circular bases connected by a curved lateral surface, where the axis joining the centers of the bases is perpendicular to both bases. This is the most common type of cylinder encountered in everyday objects like cans, pipes, and mugs.

Divide the total surface area by the volume: (2πr² + 2πrh) / (πr²h). This ratio is useful in science and engineering to understand how much surface is exposed relative to the contained volume — smaller cylinders have higher surface-to-volume ratios.

For a hollow cylinder (cylindrical shell) with outer radius R and inner radius r, the volume is V = π × (R² − r²) × h. Subtract the inner circular cross-section area from the outer, then multiply by the height.

Cylinders appear everywhere — pipes, water tanks, cans, batteries, engine pistons, drinking glasses, columns in architecture, and even tree trunks approximate cylindrical shapes. Understanding cylinder geometry is essential in engineering, manufacturing, and everyday volume estimation.