Volume Calculator

Volume is the amount of three-dimensional (3D) space an object occupies or a container can hold, measured in cubic units such as cubic meters (m³), cubic centimeters (cm³), liters (L), or US gallons (gal). Volume quantifies capacity — how much material, liquid, or gas fits inside a defined boundary.

Volume differs from area. Area measures two-dimensional (2D) surface coverage in squared units (m², cm²), while volume measures three-dimensional (3D) enclosed space in cubed units (m³, cm³). Adding depth (a third dimension) to a flat surface creates volume.

The SI unit for volume is the cubic meter (m³). One cubic meter equals 1,000 liters (L), 1,000,000 cubic centimeters (cm³), 35.3147 cubic feet (ft³), or 264.172 US gallons (gal). For everyday liquids, the liter (L) and milliliter (mL) are most practical: 1 L = 1,000 mL = 1,000 cm³ exactly.

Volume is measured in cubic units for solids and capacity units for liquids. The metric system uses cubic meters (m³), liters (L), and milliliters (mL). The US customary and Imperial systems use cubic feet (ft³), US gallons (gal), fluid ounces (fl oz), cups, pints, and quarts. Cooking uses tablespoons (tbsp) and teaspoons (tsp).

Key conversion: 1 liter (L) = 1,000 milliliters (mL) = 1,000 cubic centimeters (cm³) = 1 cubic decimeter (dm³). One US gallon = 3.785 liters. One Imperial gallon = 4.546 liters (about 20% larger than a US gallon).

Calculate volume by identifying the 3D shape, measuring its dimensions, and applying the correct formula. Every volume formula multiplies three dimensions together (or their equivalent), producing a result in cubic units. A cube uses V = a³, a rectangular prism uses V = l × w × h, a cylinder uses V = πr²h, and a sphere uses V = (4/3)πr³.

A rectangle is a 2D shape with area = length × width (measured in squared units like cm²). A rectangular prism (box) is a 3D shape with volume = length × width × height (measured in cubed units like cm³). Adding height to a rectangle creates a box.

Surface area measures the total area covering the outside of a 3D object, expressed in squared units (m², cm²). Volume measures the space inside that object, expressed in cubed units (m³, cm³). Surface area determines how much paint covers an object; volume determines how much the object holds.