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Cylinder Calculator

Computes the volume, base area, lateral (curved) surface area and total surface area of a right circular cylinder from its radius and height.

When to use

You need the capacity or surface of a can, tank, pipe, pillar or any straight circular cylinder.

Do not use when: The cylinder is hollow (compute outer minus inner), tilted (oblique), or tapers to a point (use cone).

Formula

volume = π · radius² · height; base_area = π · radius²; lateral_area = 2 · π · radius · height; total_surface_area = 2 · π · radius · (radius + height)

Inputs

Parameter	Type	Unit	Required	Description
`radius`	number	units	yes	Radius of the circular base. Range: > 0
`height`	number	units	yes	Distance between the two bases, measured perpendicular to them. Range: > 0

Outputs

Output	Type	Unit	Description
`volume`	number	units³	π × r² × h.
`base_area`	number	units²	π × r², area of one circular end.
`lateral_area`	number	units²	2 × π × r × h, the curved side only.
`total_surface_area`	number	units²	2 × π × r × (r + h), both ends plus the side.

Example

Radius 3, height 5: {"radius":3,"height":5} → {"volume":141.3717,"base_area":28.2743,"lateral_area":94.2478,"total_surface_area":150.7964}

Radius 1, height 1: {"radius":1,"height":1} → {"volume":3.1416,"lateral_area":6.2832,"total_surface_area":12.5664}

GET https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculate/cylinder?radius=3&height=5

Machine access

API: GET https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculate/cylinder (query parameters) or POST with a JSON body {"inputs": {...}}
Schema: https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculators/cylinder · Markdown: https://tttkmbb.com/geometry/cylinder.md · JSON definition: https://tttkmbb.com/geometry/cylinder.json
MCP: server https://tttkmbb.com/mcp, tool run_calculator with calculator_id="cylinder"
OpenAPI operationId: calculate_cylinder_properties
Freshness: static. Authentication: none. Rate limit: fair use (see rate limits).

Sources

Wikipedia – Cylinder (reference)
Wolfram MathWorld – Cylinder (reference)

FAQ

How do I get litres from the volume?

Use the cube of the input unit: 1 dm³ = 1 litre, 1 cm³ = 1 ml, 1 m³ = 1000 litres. Enter dimensions in dm to read the volume directly in litres.

Is the top included in the surface area?

total_surface_area includes both circular ends; lateral_area is the curved side only (e.g. a label wrapped around a can).

Related calculators

Cone Calculator — Same base but tapering to a point (one third of the volume).
Circle Calculator — Properties of the circular base.
Volume Converter — Convert the volume to litres or gallons.