How to Calculate Volume of Common Shapes
Published 2026-11-02
Volume calculator searches are usually homework, cooking, shipping or a pour of concrete. The question is the same: how much space is inside this shape, and in which unit?
Use the free tool
Run these formulas with your own numbers. Math stays in your browser.
Open Volume Calculator →Our volume calculator takes a shape and its measurements, then shows cubic feet, liters and other units. The area calculator is the 2-D cousin. The concrete calculator turns a slab or column into bags and cubic yards.
Open the volume calculator
Pick the shape, enter the dimensions in the unit you measured, and read the result in several units at once. Keep every length in the same unit before you convert.
Formulas the tool uses
These are the usual school formulas. π is the standard circle constant. A cube is a rectangular box with equal sides. A cylinder here is a right circular cylinder.
V = side³
V = length × width × height
V = π × r² × height
V = (4/3) × π × r³
Units that confuse people
Cubic feet, cubic yards and liters measure the same space on different scales. 1 cubic meter is 1,000 liters. 1 cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. A US gallon is 231 cubic inches. Convert after you have volume in one consistent unit — do not mix inches of height with feet of length.
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic foot | US gallons | ≈ 7.4805 |
| 1 cubic yard | cubic feet | 27 |
| 1 cubic meter | liters | 1,000 |
| 1 liter | milliliters | 1,000 |
Worked examples
A 1 m cube is 1 m³ = 1,000 liters — the default the volume calculator shows for that shape.
A shipping box 2 ft × 1.5 ft × 1 ft is 3 cubic feet. A cylinder 2 ft across (r = 1) and 3 ft tall is π × 1² × 3 ≈ 9.42 cubic feet.
- Choose the shape that matches the object (or a close enclosure).
- Measure every needed length in one unit.
- Enter those values and pick that unit.
- Read cubic volume, then the converted units.
- For a concrete slab or column, switch to the concrete calculator so waste and bag counts are included.
Irregular objects
If the shape is not in the list, split it into boxes and cylinders and add the volumes, or measure displacement in a marked container. The calculator will not integrate a CAD file.
Why this search stays busy
“Volume calculator” and “how to calculate volume” stay high on Google and Bing because the same formula shows up in homework, shipping and a hardware-store pour. People also search “volume of a cylinder” and “cubic feet calculator” as separate queries — they are the same tool with a different shape or unit selected.
A common miss is mixing units: a 12-inch height on a box measured in feet is 1 foot, not 12 feet. Convert with the length converter first, then enter one unit on the volume calculator. For a driveway slab, skip the general volume page and use the concrete calculator so waste and 40/60/80 lb bags are in the same result.
Use the free tool
Run these formulas with your own numbers. Math stays in your browser.
Open Volume Calculator →Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as capacity?
Capacity is how much a container is meant to hold. Volume is the geometric space. They match when the container is filled to the measured shape.
Do I enter diameter or radius?
Follow the field label on the form for that shape.
Can I mix feet and inches?
Convert to one unit first, or use the length converter.
Where is concrete waste?
On the concrete calculator, not on this general volume tool.
Are results exact?
They use the standard formulas and then convert. Display rounding is for reading, not for a legal survey.