Cylinder Calculator

Volume equals pi x r^2 x h, where r is the radius and h is the height. The formula works by multiplying the area of the circular base (pi x r^2) by how tall the cylinder is. For example, a can with a 2-inch radius and 5-inch height has a volume of about 62.83 cubic inches.

Lateral surface area covers only the curved side wall: 2 x pi x r x h. Total surface area adds both circular ends: 2 x pi x r^2 + 2 x pi x r x h. Use lateral when you need to wrap a label around the outside; use total when you are painting, coating, or estimating material for the entire surface.

Yes. The formulas are unit-agnostic. Enter radius and height in the same unit, and the calculator returns area in square units and volume in cubic units automatically. For example, inches in gives square inches and cubic inches out. Mixing units, such as radius in inches and height in feet, will produce wrong results.

Diameter is 2 x r and circumference is 2 x pi x r. Both values appear in the results panel the moment you enter a radius, so you do not need to compute them separately.

Both radius and height must be greater than zero for a cylinder to have a defined shape. A radius of zero collapses the cylinder to a line, and a height of zero flattens it to a disc with no volume. Negative values have no geometric meaning, so the calculator returns no result until you enter positive numbers for both fields.