This volume calculator finds the volume of six common 3D shapes: cube, rectangular box, cylinder, sphere, cone and rectangular pyramid. It also converts the answer to litres or US gallons.
Volume formulas
- Cube: V = s³
- Rectangular box: V = length × width × height
- Cylinder: V = πr²h
- Sphere: V = 4/3 × πr³
- Cone: V = πr²h ÷ 3
- Rectangular pyramid: V = length × width × height ÷ 3
Worked example
A cylinder with a radius of 3 cm and a height of 10 cm has a volume of π × 9 × 10 ≈ 282.74 cm³, which is about 0.28 litres.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a cone one third of a cylinder?
A cone with the same base and height as a cylinder holds exactly one third as much. The same is true of a pyramid compared with a box.
How do I find how much liquid a container holds?
Measure the inside dimensions in centimeters and divide the result by 1,000 to get litres, or measure in inches and divide by 231 for US gallons.