Cylinder Calculator

Written byOleh Soloninupdated 27 September 2026

Known size

Radius

Height

Units

Result

Volume in litres282.743
Volume in cubic units0.282743
Base area0.282743
Lateral surface1.884956
Total surface2.450442
Diameter0.6
Radius0.3

Base circle times height

Volume from the radius or the diameter, in litres whatever units you measure in, plus lateral and total surface area.

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.

How to use

Choose whether you are entering the radius or the diameter.
Enter that measurement, the height and the unit.
Read the volume in cubic units and in litres, along with the base, lateral and total surface areas.

Radius counts twice, height once

Volume is πr²h, so the radius is squared while the height is not. A cylinder 0.3 m in radius and 1 m tall holds 0.2827 m³, which is about 283 litres. Widening the radius by a tenth adds 21 percent; raising the height by a tenth adds only 10.

That asymmetry decides practical choices. For a closed cylinder with a fixed surface area, the volume is greatest when the height equals the diameter; going further towards either a wide, flat shape or a tall, thin one reduces the capacity. That is why storage vessels are rarely built tall and thin unless space forces it.

A tenth more radius against a tenth more height. Worked out with this calculator.
Radius	Height	Volume	In litres
0.3 m	1 m	0.2827 m³	282.7
0.33 m	1 m	0.3421 m³	342.1
0.3 m	1.1 m	0.3110 m³	311.0

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?

Pick the units you measured in — metres, centimetres or millimetres — and read the litres line: a cubic metre is 1,000 litres and a cubic centimetre is a millilitre. You can enter the diameter directly instead of halving it.

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. The rule is for volume only — a tilted cylinder's side area is larger than 2πrh.

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.

How many litres fit in a cylinder 0.3 m in radius and 1 m tall?

About 283. The volume is πr²h = 0.2827 m³, and a cubic metre holds a thousand litres.

Why does the radius matter more than the height?

Because it is squared while the height is not. Widening the radius by 10% adds 21% to the volume; raising the height by 10% adds only 10%.

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: At the same 1 m height, cutting the radius from 30 to 28 cm drops the capacity from 282.7 to 246.3 litres: two centimetres of radius are worth 36.4 litres.

Useful links

All tools in Math & Statistics

Cylinder Calculator

Result

Related tools

Sphere Volume and Surface Area

Cone Volume and Surface Area

Pipe Volume Calculator

Useful links