Cylinder Volume Calculator
The volume of a cylinder is V = π r² h, and this cylinder volume calculator works it out the moment you type a radius (or diameter) and a height. You'll see the answer at once in cubic inches or feet, liters, gallons, and milliliters, so you don't have to convert anything by hand. It handles solid and hollow cylinders, it'll total a whole batch of identical tubes for you, and it shows the formula and the worked steps with every result, so you can trust the number and learn how it was reached.
- Solid & hollow
- Radius or diameter
- 14 units at once
- Bulk totals
- Formula shown
Last updated June 15, 2026 Method: V = π r² h Reviewed by the Calcowa math team
Enter a positive radius and height to see the volume.
Show all units
V = π × 3² × 5 = 141.37 in³
What is the volume of a cylinder?
The volume of a cylinder is the space it holds, found with V = π × r² × h, where r is the base radius and h is the height. For a radius of 3 in and a height of 5 in, the cylinder volume is about 141.4 cubic inches.
That formula comes straight from the base. A cylinder is a circle pushed up through a height, so its volume is the base area (π r²) times how tall it is (h). This is the volume of a right cylinder, the everyday upright kind whose sides meet the base at a right angle. Capacity is the same idea by another name: a tank's capacity is just its internal cylinder volume, read in liters or gallons instead of cubic units. Same number, different label.
How do you calculate the volume of a cylinder?
To calculate the volume of a cylinder, square the radius, multiply by pi, then multiply by the height. Here's the full sequence:
- 1
Measure the radiusMeasure the base radius. If you only have the diameter, divide it by 2.
- 2
Square the radiusMultiply the radius by itself to get r squared.
- 3
Multiply by piMultiply r squared by pi (about 3.14159) to get the base area.
- 4
Multiply by the heightMultiply the base area by the height to get the volume.
- 5
Convert the unitsConvert to liters, gallons, or cubic feet if that's what you need.
A cylinder volume example, step by step
Say you've got a cylinder with a radius of 4 inches and a height of 10 inches. Square the radius to get 16, multiply by pi for a base area of about 50.27 square inches, then multiply by the height of 10.
V = π × 4² × 10 = 502.65 in³
about 8.24 liters or 2.18 US gallons
Type those same numbers into the calculator above and you'll get the matching liters, gallons, and cubic feet without doing the conversions yourself.
Volume of a hollow cylinder
A hollow cylinder, like a pipe or a tube, has its middle removed, so you find its volume with V = π × (R² - r²) × h. Here R is the outer radius and r is the inner radius, and subtracting the inner circle from the outer one leaves just the wall of material.
Flip the calculator to its hollow setting and enter both radii. It subtracts the inner volume for you, which is exactly what you want when you're costing pipe, conduit, or any ring-shaped part.
Volume of an oblique cylinder
An oblique cylinder leans to one side instead of standing straight, yet its volume still uses V = π × r² × h. The one thing to watch is h: for an oblique cylinder, h is the perpendicular height between the two circular bases, not the slanted distance along the side. Use that straight-up measurement and you'll get the same answer as an upright cylinder of equal height.
Units and accuracy
Calcowa shows every cylinder volume in liters (also spelled litres), US and UK gallons, milliliters, fluid ounces, and cubic mm, cm, m, inches, feet, and yards all at once, so you don't have to convert anything. Tap "Show all units" under the result to see the full list. The results use the full value of pi, not a rounded 3.14, so they're accurate to several decimal places for engineering, school, and everyday work.
| Unit | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic inches (in³) | Small parts, cans, short pipe sections | Default when you enter inches |
| Cubic feet (ft³) | Tanks, drums, large containers | 1 ft³ = 1,728 in³ |
| Liters (L) | Everyday capacity, bottles, fuel | 1 L = 1,000 mL |
| US gallons (gal) | Fuel, water tanks, aquariums | 1 US gallon = 3.785 L |
| Milliliters (mL) | Lab work, cooking, small volumes | 1,000 mL = 1 L |
Frequently asked questions
Is the volume of a cylinder the same as its capacity?
Yes, when you measure them in the same way. A cylinder's capacity is how much it can hold inside, which is its internal volume read in liters or gallons. For a thin-walled tank the two are practically identical; for thick walls, use the inner radius so you're measuring the space inside.
For a hollow cylinder, subtract the inner circle from the outer one before you multiply by height: V = π × (R² - r²) × h, where R is the outer radius and r is the inner radius. Switch on the hollow option in the calculator and it'll do that subtraction for you.
Rearrange the formula to h = V ÷ (π × r²). So if you already know the volume and the radius, divide the volume by pi times the radius squared and you've got the height in the same length unit.
Use r = √(V ÷ (π × h)). Divide the volume by pi times the height, then take the square root. That gives you the radius of a cylinder, and doubling it gives the diameter of the cylinder.
Work out the volume the usual way, then convert: 1 US gallon is 231 cubic inches, or about 3.785 liters. The calculator shows gallons next to liters and cubic feet at the same time, so you don't have to convert by hand.
An oblique cylinder leans to one side, but the formula doesn't change: V = π × r² × h. The catch is that h has to be the perpendicular height between the two circular bases, not the slanted length along the side.
They're used all over the place: sizing water tanks and propane drums, ordering concrete for round footings, working out engine displacement, filling aquariums and pools, and plenty of school geometry. Anywhere something is tube-shaped, this is the math you'll reach for.
If you've got the circumference instead of the radius, divide it by 2 times pi to get the radius (r = C / 6.2832), then use V = π × r² × h. This calculator takes the radius or diameter, so work out the radius from the circumference first and you're set.
Yes. A vertical, upright cylinder uses V = π × r² × h straight away. A horizontal cylinder or tank that's completely full uses the same formula, with the tank's length as the height. Only a partly filled horizontal tank needs a different method, because the liquid sits as a circular segment rather than a flat layer.
Yes. For a half cylinder, find the full volume and divide it by 2. For a hydraulic cylinder, enter the bore radius and use the stroke length as the height, then switch on the hollow option if you need to take out the rod. The litres or gallons reading tells you the fluid capacity.
Those aren't true cylinders, so the formula changes. A tapered or conical shape is really a cone or a frustum, and an oval or elliptical tube uses V = π × a × b × h with its two different radii. For a straight round tube, this cylinder volume calculator is the right one.
Volume comes first, then density links it to weight. To get the weight, multiply the cylinder's volume by the material's density (weight = volume × density). To get the density of a cylinder, divide its mass by the volume shown here. As a quick guide, 1 litre of water weighs about 1 kilogram, so the litres reading doubles as an easy water-weight estimate.
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