Cylinder Calculator

Radius

Height

Result

Volume0.282743
Litres (if metres)282.743
Base area0.282743
Lateral surface1.884956
Total surface2.450442
Diameter0.6

Base circle times height

Volume, lateral and total surface area, and the volume in litres when dimensions are given in metres.

A cylinder is the easiest solid to compute: take the base area and multiply by height. The only real trap is entering the diameter where the radius belongs — an error that inflates the answer fourfold.

Volume in litres is shown separately. With metre inputs, a cubic metre is a thousand litres, and for a barrel, tank or pipe that is usually the number you actually want.

What this calculator shows

Volume in cubic units and in litres
Base area, lateral surface and total surface area
The diameter, so a radius mix-up is obvious at a glance

What to keep in mind

Lateral area is computed as the unrolled rectangle: circumference times height.
Total area includes both ends; subtract one for an open container.

FAQs

How do I get a barrel's volume in litres?

Enter the dimensions in metres and read the litres line. A cubic metre is a thousand litres, so the conversion is a multiplication by a thousand.

What if I only know the diameter?

Halve it. Substituting diameter for radius is the most common error here and overstates volume by exactly a factor of four.

Does a tilted cylinder have a different volume?

No, as long as the height is measured perpendicular to the bases. Cavalieri's principle says the tilt changes the shape but not the volume.

Why does lateral area matter?

For painting, labelling and insulation. It unrolls into a rectangle of 2πr by h, which is why the formula is so simple.

Worked example

A barrel 30 cm in radius

Input: Radius 0.3 m, height 1 m

Output: 0.2827 m³, or 282.7 litres

Note: A standard 200-litre drum is slightly smaller, at about 28 cm radius. Two centimetres of radius is worth nearly forty litres.

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Cylinder Calculator

Result

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