Volume calculator for boxes, cubes, cylinders, cones and spheres
Select a shape and enter its required dimensions in one consistent unit. HitEquals reports volume, surface area and the exact formula used.
Inputs used by this calculator
Volume Calculator uses the fields below. The starting values reproduce the page example; replace them with values from the same units and time period before using the result.
| Input | Starting example | Accepted value | How it is used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid | Rectangular solid | Rectangular solid · Cube · Cylinder · 2 more choices | Supplies the solid quantity used by the published equation or result breakdown. |
| Length, side or radius | 4 | 1e-9 to 1000000000000 | Supplies the length, side or radius quantity used by the published equation or result breakdown. |
| Width or height | 3 | 1e-9 to 1000000000000 | Supplies the width or height quantity used by the published equation or result breakdown. |
| Height | 2 | 1e-9 to 1000000000000 | Supplies the height quantity used by the published equation or result breakdown. |
Choose the solid
Rectangular solids use length, width and height. Cubes use one side. Cylinders and cones use radius and height; spheres use radius.
Volume formulas
Volume counts three-dimensional space and therefore uses cubic units.
box=lwh; cube=s³cylinder=πr²h; cone=πr²h/3; sphere=4πr³/3Surface area
Surface area covers the outside faces and uses square units. The result includes closed top and bottom surfaces.
Use consistent units
Convert every length before calculating. Mixing centimeters and meters would multiply the error across dimensions.
Capacity versus material
Geometric volume does not subtract wall thickness. For container capacity, enter internal dimensions; for exterior material, use outer dimensions and a dedicated fabrication estimate.
Radius, diameter and dimension labels
Cylinder, cone and sphere formulas use radius. If a drawing gives diameter, divide it by two before entering the value. For a rectangular solid, assign length, width and height consistently; rotating the box does not change their product.
Convert volume after calculating
If dimensions share one unit, the result uses that unit cubed. Convert cubic units with a volume factor rather than a length factor: one cubic foot contains 1,728 cubic inches because 12³=1,728.
1 ft³=12³ in³=1,728 in³1 m³=1,000 LRequired dimensions
| Solid | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Box | length, width, height |
| Cube | side |
| Cylinder | radius, height |
| Cone | radius, height |
| Sphere | radius |
Common volume relationships
| Solid | Volume | Frequent input mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangular solid | lwh | mixing dimension units |
| Cube | s³ | using 6s², which is surface area |
| Cylinder | πr²h | entering diameter as radius |
| Cone | πr²h/3 | omitting division by 3 |
| Sphere | 4πr³/3 | cubing diameter instead of radius |
Frequently asked questions
What units does volume use?
The cube of the input unit, such as cm³ or ft³.
What is cylinder volume?
π times radius squared times height.
Is diameter the same as radius?
No. Radius is half the diameter.
Does surface area include every face?
Yes, the formulas model closed solids.
Can I mix units?
No. Convert all dimensions to the same unit first.
How many cubic inches are in one cubic foot?
There are exactly 1,728 because each of the three dimensions contains 12 inches.
Should a cylinder input use radius or diameter?
Use radius; divide a measured diameter by two first.
What to keep in mind
Use one consistent length unit for every dimension. Irregular objects require another measurement method.
Results are rounded for display in US format, with money in dollars and cents; CSV exports keep full calculation precision. This is a calculation summary, not an official certificate.