Volume calculator
Every solid's volume reduces to base area and height: a cylinder multiplies them directly, a cone and pyramid divide by three, and in a sphere the radius plays both roles. Pick the shape, enter the dimensions, and the right formula applies itself.
- In litres
- 12,000l
Rates and thresholds
- Cylinder
- V = πr²h
- Cone
- V = πr²h / 3
- Sphere
- V = 4πr³ / 3
- Cuboid
- V = a × b × c
How do I calculate the volume of a cylinder?
Multiply the base area by the height: V = πr²h. A barrel with a 30 cm radius and 90 cm height holds 3.14159 × 0.3² × 0.9 ≈ 0.254 m³, which is 254 litres. To move between cubic metres and litres, multiply or divide by a thousand — 1 m³ = 1000 l.
Why is a cone's volume a third of a cylinder's?
A cone with the same base and height fits into the cylinder exactly three times — a fact you can demonstrate by pouring conefuls of water into a cylinder. The same one-third holds for any tapering solid, pyramids included. That is why a cup holds more ice cream than an equally tall cone.
How do I work out how many litres an aquarium holds?
The cuboid formula in centimetres gives litres directly once divided by a thousand: an 80 × 35 × 40 cm tank holds 112,000 cm³, or 112 litres. The real water volume is less — glass thickness, substrate and not filling to the brim usually take a tenth.
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