Cylinder Calculator

Calculate volume and surface area of a right circular cylinder

Your result will appear here.

About the Cylinder Calculator

A cylinder has a constant circular cross-section along its height. This makes its volume useful for tanks, pipes and containers, while its surface area is useful for coatings and material coverage.

Use the internal radius for capacity and the external radius for outside material or surface calculations.

How to Use the Cylinder Calculator

  1. Enter radius or diameter.
  2. Enter the cylinder height or length.
  3. Choose whether you need volume, lateral area or total surface area.
  4. Use internal or external dimensions according to what the result represents.

How the Calculation Works

For a circular cylinder, volume is V = πr²h, where r is the radius and h is the perpendicular height or axial length. Diameter is converted to radius by dividing by two before the squared term is evaluated.

Lateral surface area is 2πrh. A closed cylinder’s total surface area is 2πrh + 2πr² because it adds both circular ends, while an open cylinder should omit whichever end surfaces are not actually present.

Worked example

Cylinder Calculator Worked Example

Cylinder radius 2 m and height 5 m

Volume = π×2²×5 = 20π ≈ 62.83 m³. Lateral area = 2π×2×5 = 20π ≈ 62.83 m², while total area adds two 4π end circles.

Result guide

Understanding Your Cylinder Calculator Result

Volume and surface area can have similar numerical values by coincidence but represent different physical quantities and use different units. For practical containers, the distinction between internal and external dimensions can be significant because wall thickness changes both capacity and outside surface area.

Before you rely on the answer

Assumptions and Limitations

  • The cylinder is circular and has uniform radius.
  • Height is measured perpendicular to the circular bases.
  • Open or closed ends are selected correctly for surface-area calculations.

Practical tip

Using This Result in Practice

For pipes and tanks, decide whether you need inside capacity or outside surface before measuring diameter. Wall thickness means the two diameters are not interchangeable. If the cylinder is hollow, record both internal and external diameters rather than assuming one measurement can serve every calculation.

Related calculations

Useful Calculations to Continue With

If the cylinder is specifically a pipe and inside diameter matters, use the Pipe Volume Calculator.

If the cylinder is a storage tank with operational capacity concerns, use the Tank Volume Calculator.

Common questions

Cylinder Calculator FAQ

What is the formula for cylinder volume?

V=πr²h.

How do I use diameter instead of radius?

Divide diameter by 2 to obtain radius before applying the standard formulas.

What is lateral surface area?

It is the curved side area only, excluding the circular ends.