Cylinder Volume Calculator
Cylinder volume calculator to find the volume of vertical cylinders and horizontal partially filled tanks. Enter radius or diameter and height/length in mm, cm, m or inches. Get results in m³, liters, ft³ and US gallons. Includes formulas and FAQ.
Full original guide (expanded)
Cylinder Volume Calculator
Find the volume of cylindrical tanks, pipes and containers. Supports full vertical cylinders and horizontal partially filled tanks, with instant conversion to liters, m³, ft³ and US gallons.
Calculator
If both radius and diameter are present, diameter is used.
Results
Total cylinder volume (full) in multiple units.
Cubic meters (m³)
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Liters (L)
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Cubic centimeters (cm³)
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Cubic feet (ft³)
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US gallons (gal)
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Liquid volume for horizontal cylinder at current fill height.
Filled volume (m³)
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Filled volume (L)
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Fill %
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Note: formula uses circular segment method, valid when fill height ≤ diameter.
Cylinder volume formulas
| Case | Formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard cylinder | V = π × r² × h | r = radius, h = height |
| Diameter known | V = π × (d/2)² × h | d = diameter |
| Horizontal cylinder (partial) | V = Asegment × L | Asegment from circular segment with depth = fill height |
How this cylinder volume calculator works
Most volume problems with a cylinder come down to the classic formula:
Standard cylinder: \( V = \pi r^2 h \)
This tool lets you enter either radius or diameter (we prioritize diameter if both are present) and converts your dimensions to meters internally. After the volume in m³ is computed, it is converted to liters, cm³, ft³ and US gallons.
Horizontal partially filled tanks
Real tanks are often horizontal. If you know diameter, length and the liquid level, the volume is no longer πr²h. You have to compute the area of the circular segment defined by the fill height.
Segment area: \( A = r^2 \cos^{-1}\left(\frac{r - h}{r}\right) - (r - h)\sqrt{2rh - h^2} \)
Volume: \( V = A \times L \)
This is the same method used by many industrial tank volume charts.
FAQ
Can I use this for pipes?
Yes. A pipe is essentially a cylinder. For hollow pipes, compute outer volume and subtract inner volume.
What’s the difference between liters and US gallons?
1 m³ = 1000 L, but 1 m³ ≈ 264.172 US gallons. The calculator shows both.
What if the tank is not perfectly cylindrical?
Then this formula is an approximation. Use manufacturer tables or segment-by-segment volume estimation for irregular tanks.
Formula (LaTeX) + variables + units
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Standard cylinder: \( V = \pi r^2 h \)
Segment area: \( A = r^2 \cos^{-1}\left(\frac{r - h}{r}\right) - (r - h)\sqrt{2rh - h^2} \) Volume: \( V = A \times L \)
- No variables provided in audit spec.
- NIST — Weights and measures — nist.gov · Accessed 2026-01-19
https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights-and-measures - FTC — Consumer advice — consumer.ftc.gov · Accessed 2026-01-19
https://consumer.ftc.gov/
Last code update: 2026-01-19
- Initial audit spec draft generated from HTML extraction (review required).
- Verify formulas match the calculator engine and convert any text-only formulas to LaTeX.
- Confirm sources are authoritative and relevant to the calculator methodology.