This surface area calculator finds the total outside area of a cube, rectangular box, cylinder, sphere, cone or rectangular pyramid, and shows the lateral and base areas where they apply.
Surface area formulas
- Cube: A = 6s²
- Rectangular box: A = 2(lw + lh + wh)
- Cylinder: A = 2πr(r + h)
- Sphere: A = 4πr²
- Cone: A = πr(r + √(r² + h²))
- Rectangular pyramid: A = lw + l√((w/2)² + h²) + w√((l/2)² + h²)
Worked example
A cylinder with a radius of 3 and a height of 10 has a surface area of 2π × 3 × (3 + 10) ≈ 245.04 square units: about 188.50 for the side and 28.27 for each end.
Frequently asked questions
What is lateral surface area?
It is the area of the sides only, leaving out the base and top. For a can, it is the area of the label.
When would I need surface area?
Estimating paint, wrapping, insulation or material for a box, tank or pipe all depend on surface area. For capacity, use the volume calculator.