Volume Calculator
Calculate the volume of common 3D shapes — cube, box, cylinder, sphere, or cone.
Which fields apply to each shape
Not every field is used for every shape: a cube only needs the side length (dim1), a sphere and cone use radius (dim1) plus height for the cone, a cylinder needs radius (dim1) and height (dim2), and a rectangular box needs all three dimensions. Unused fields are simply ignored by the calculation for whichever shape you select.
Make sure all your measurements are in the same unit before calculating — mixing units (like inches for one dimension and feet for another) will produce an incorrect result, since the formulas assume consistent units throughout.
Real-world uses for volume calculations
Volume calculations show up in shipping and packaging (fitting items into boxes), cooking and baking (converting between container sizes), construction and landscaping (concrete, mulch, and gravel calculations use the same underlying volume math), and science and engineering applications.
For irregular shapes that don't match a standard formula, volume can sometimes be approximated by breaking the shape into simpler components and summing their individual volumes. If you only need a flat surface area instead, see our Area Calculator, or read the full volume calculator guide for more worked examples.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to fill in every field for every shape?
No — only the fields relevant to your selected shape are used in the calculation; the others are ignored automatically.
What happens if I mix units, like inches and feet?
The formula assumes all dimensions are in the same unit, so mixing units will give an incorrect result — convert everything to a single unit before calculating.
How do you calculate the volume of a box?
Volume of a box = Length × Width × Height. For example, a box that is 4m long, 3m wide, and 2m tall has a volume of 4 × 3 × 2 = 24 cubic metres. Make sure all measurements are in the same unit before multiplying.
What is the formula for volume of a cylinder?
Volume of a cylinder = π × r² × h, where r is the radius of the circular base and h is the height. For example, a cylinder with radius 5cm and height 10cm has volume = π × 25 × 10 = 785.4 cm³.
What is the volume of a sphere?
Volume of a sphere = (4/3) × π × r³, where r is the radius. A sphere with radius 6cm has volume = (4/3) × π × 216 = 904.8 cm³.
How do you find the volume of a box?
Volume of a box (rectangular prism) = Length × Width × Height. All measurements must be in the same unit. Example: a box 5m long, 3m wide, 2m tall has volume = 5 × 3 × 2 = 30 cubic metres (m³).
How do you calculate the volume of a column or cylinder?
Volume of a cylinder = π × r² × h, where r is the radius (half the diameter) and h is the height. Example: a concrete column with diameter 0.5m and height 3m has radius 0.25m, so volume = π × 0.0625 × 3 = 0.589 m³.
What is the formula for volume of a sphere?
Volume of a sphere = (4/3) × π × r³. Example: a sphere with radius 5cm has volume = (4/3) × π × 125 = 523.6 cm³.
How do I calculate cubic volume?
Cubic volume means volume expressed in cubic units (cubic metres, cubic feet, cubic inches). For a rectangular box: multiply length × width × height. Make sure all three dimensions are in the same unit first. 1 cubic metre = 1,000 litres = 35.3 cubic feet.