Volume Calculator

Step 1: Select the 3D shape from the dropdown: Cube, Box (Rectangular), Cylinder, Sphere, or Cone.

Step 2: Enter the required dimensions. Only the fields relevant to your shape are shown — a cube needs one side length, a box needs three dimensions, etc.

Step 3: Click Calculate. The result shows the volume in cubic units. Use consistent units for all inputs.

Volume measures the amount of three-dimensional space inside an object. It is expressed in cubic units — cubic feet, cubic meters, cubic inches, liters, etc. While area measures flat surfaces (2D), volume measures the capacity of containers, rooms, and solids (3D).

Practical applications: Volume calculations are used for shipping and packing (how much fits in a box), concrete and material estimation (how much to pour), pool and tank capacity (gallons of water), cooking (recipe scaling), HVAC sizing (air volume in rooms), and landscaping (mulch and soil volumes).

Volume units conversion:
- 1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons = 28.32 liters
- 1 cubic meter = 264.17 gallons = 1,000 liters
- 1 gallon = 231 cubic inches
- 1 liter = 61.02 cubic inches

Five shapes cover most real-world needs. Boxes for shipping and rooms, cylinders for pipes and tanks, spheres for balls and domes, cones for funnels and piles, and cubes for simple storage.

Cube: V = side³
All sides equal. A 3-foot cube: 3³ = 27 cubic feet

Box (Rectangular Prism): V = length × width × height
Three measurements. A 5×4×3 box: 5 × 4 × 3 = 60 cubic feet

Cylinder: V = π × r² × height
Circular cross-section. Radius 3, height 8: π × 9 × 8 = 226.19 cubic units

Sphere: V = (4/3) × π × r³
A ball with radius 5: (4/3) × π × 125 = 523.60 cubic units

Cone: V = (1/3) × π × r² × height
One-third of a cylinder. Radius 4, height 9: (1/3) × π × 16 × 9 = 150.80 cubic units

Example 1: Shipping Box
A box is 24 × 18 × 12 inches. Select Box, enter 24, 18, 12. Volume: 5,184 cubic inches. That is about 3 cubic feet or 22.4 gallons.

Example 2: Cylindrical Water Tank
A tank has radius 3 feet and height 5 feet. Select Cylinder, enter 3 and 5. Volume: 141.37 cubic feet = about 1,057 gallons.

Example 3: Concrete for a Column
A concrete column has radius 0.5 feet and height 10 feet. Select Cylinder, enter 0.5 and 10. Volume: 7.85 cubic feet. At ~$150 per cubic yard: about $44 in concrete (7.85 ÷ 27 × 150).

Use consistent units. All dimensions must be in the same unit. Mixing inches and feet will give wrong results. Convert everything first.

For irregular containers, use water displacement. Fill the container with water, then measure the water volume. This is the Archimedes method.

Convert cubic feet to gallons by multiplying by 7.48. Useful for pools, tanks, and aquariums. A 100 cubic-foot hot tub holds about 748 gallons.

Only relevant fields appear. When you select "Sphere," only the radius field shows. This prevents entering unnecessary dimensions.

For rooms, box volume works. A room is a box. A 12 × 10 × 8 foot room is 960 cubic feet. HVAC systems use this to determine heating/cooling capacity (BTU requirements).