Finding the Volume of a Cylinder
(KS3, Year 8)
The volume of a cylinder is found using the formula:

volume cylinder formula In this formula, r is the radius of the cylinder and h is the height of the cylinder. The image below shows what we mean by the radius and height:

cylinder radius height1

"Find the Volume" Widget

Here is a widget to help you learn the formulas for finding the volumes of different shapes.
  • Click on the shape you're learning about.
  • Click on the pad to start.
  • Follow the instructions in the bottom-left corner.
  • On the last click, the formula, workings, and answer will appear in the yellow box.
  • Enjoy!
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How to Find the Volume of a Cylinder

Question

What is the volume of a cylinder with a radius of 5 cm and a height of 10 cm, as shown below?
cylinder radius height

Step-by-Step:

1

Start with the formula:
Volume = πr2h
Don't forget: π is pi (≈ 3.14) and r2 = r × r (r squared).

2

Substitute the radius and the height into the formula. In our example, r = 5 and h = 10.

Volume = π × 52 × 10

Volume = π × 5 × 5 × 10

Volume = π × 250

Volume = 3.14 × 250

Volume = 785 cm3

Answer:

The volume of the cylinder with a radius of 5 cm and a height of 10 cm is 785 cm3.

Lesson Slides

The slider below shows another real example of how to find the volume of a cylinder.

What Is a Cylinder?

A cylinder has two ends that are circles that are parallel to each other and are joined by a curved surface.

A Sphere in a Cylinder

sphere in cylinder If a sphere is placed in a cylinder, the volume of the sphere is exactly two-thirds the volume of the cylinder. Can you work out why?

A Cone in a Cylinder

cone in cylinder If a cone is placed in a cylinder, the volume of the cone is exactly a third of the volume of the cylinder. Can you work out why?
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This page was written by Stephen Clarke.