A cylinder volume calculator computes the space inside a circular cylinder using V = πr²h. Enter the radius (or diameter) and height to get results in liters, gallons, cubic meters, or 30+ other units.
A cylinder is a 3D shape with two parallel circular bases connected by a curved lateral surface. The line segment connecting the centers of the two bases is the height (h). The distance from the center to the edge of a base is the radius (r).
Cylinders are everywhere: cans, pipes, drums, pillars, water tanks, batteries, and drinking glasses. A right circular cylinder (the most common type) has bases perpendicular to its height.
Cylinder volume = π × radius² × height (V = πr²h).
If you know the diameter (d) instead of radius: r = d/2, so V = π(d/2)²h = πd²h/4.
Example: A cylinder with radius 5 cm and height 10 cm:
V = π × 5² × 10 = π × 250 = 785.4 cm³ = 0.785 L = 0.208 US gal.
Diameter 6.6 cm, height 12.2 cm: V = π × 3.3² × 12.2 = 417.5 cm³ (actual capacity ~330 mL due to dome).
10 cm diameter, 100 cm length: V = π × 5² × 100 = 7,854 cm³ = 7.85 L.
Diameter 57.2 cm, height 85 cm: V = π × 28.6² × 85 = 218,401 cm³ ≈ 218.4 L ≈ 57.7 gal.
Diameter 8 m, height 15 m: V = π × 4² × 15 = 753.98 m³ = 753,982 L.
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Answers to common questions about the cylinder volume calculator.
V = πr²h where r = radius of the circular base and h = height. If you have diameter: V = π(d/2)²h = πd²h/4.
Calculate V = πr²h in centimeters to get cm³, then divide by 1,000 for liters. Example: r=5cm, h=20cm → V = π×25×20 = 1,570.8 cm³ = 1.571 liters.
r = √(V / πh). If V = 1,000 cm³ and h = 10 cm: r = √(1000 / 31.416) = √31.83 = 5.64 cm.
SA = 2πr(r + h) = 2πr² (two bases) + 2πrh (lateral surface). For r=3, h=10: SA = 2π×3×13 = 245.04 cm².
For a vertical cylinder half-filled: V = πr²h/2 (just halve the full volume). For a horizontal cylinder half-filled, V = (πr²L)/2 where L = cylinder length.