Volume Calculator

Select a Shape
Formula
V = a³
Calculated Volume
125
Cubic Centimeters (cm³)
Interactive 3D Visualization
Shape
Cube
Surface Area
150 cm²

What is Volume?

Volume is the amount of three-dimensional (3D) space an object occupies or a container can hold, measured in cubic units such as cubic meters (m³), cubic centimeters (cm³), liters (L), or US gallons (gal). Volume quantifies capacity — how much material, liquid, or gas fits inside a defined boundary.

Volume differs from area. Area measures two-dimensional (2D) surface coverage in squared units (m², cm²), while volume measures three-dimensional (3D) enclosed space in cubed units (m³, cm³). Adding depth (a third dimension) to a flat surface creates volume.

The SI unit for volume is the cubic meter (m³). One cubic meter equals 1,000 liters (L), 1,000,000 cubic centimeters (cm³), 35.3147 cubic feet (ft³), or 264.172 US gallons (gal). For everyday liquids, the liter (L) and milliliter (mL) are most practical: 1 L = 1,000 mL = 1,000 cm³ exactly.

1D — Length
meters (m)
→
2D — Area
square meters (m²)
→
3D — Volume
cubic meters (m³)

How to Calculate Volume?

Calculate volume by identifying the 3D shape, measuring its dimensions, and applying the correct formula. Every volume formula multiplies three dimensions together (or their equivalent), producing a result in cubic units. A cube uses V = a³, a rectangular prism uses V = l × w × h, a cylinder uses V = πr²h, and a sphere uses V = (4/3)πr³.

Cube

V = a³

Tips to Measure the Volume of Different Phases

Solids

Measure regular solids (cubes, spheres, cylinders) by taking dimensions with a ruler or caliper and applying geometric volume formulas.

For irregular solids, use water displacement: submerge the object in a graduated cylinder and measure the rise in water level. The displaced volume in mL equals the object's volume in cm³ (1 mL = 1 cm³).

Liquids

Pour the liquid into a graduated container — a graduated cylinder, beaker, or measuring cup — and read the measurement at the meniscus (the curved liquid surface) at eye level.

Common liquid units: milliliters (mL), liters (L), US fluid ounces (fl oz), cups, pints, quarts, gallons. 1 L = 1,000 mL = 33.814 US fl oz = 0.264 US gal.

Gases

Gas volume depends on temperature and pressure. Gases expand to fill their container, so volume is measured at standard conditions: STP = 0°C (273.15 K), 1 atm (101.325 kPa).

Use the ideal gas law: PV = nRT, where P = pressure, V = volume, n = moles of gas, R = gas constant (8.314 J/(mol·K)), T = temperature in Kelvin.

Commonly Used Volume Units

Volume is measured in cubic units for solids and capacity units for liquids. The metric system uses cubic meters (m³), liters (L), and milliliters (mL). The US customary and Imperial systems use cubic feet (ft³), US gallons (gal), fluid ounces (fl oz), cups, pints, and quarts. Cooking uses tablespoons (tbsp) and teaspoons (tsp).

Key conversion: 1 liter (L) = 1,000 milliliters (mL) = 1,000 cubic centimeters (cm³) = 1 cubic decimeter (dm³). One US gallon = 3.785 liters. One Imperial gallon = 4.546 liters (about 20% larger than a US gallon).

Filter:
Unit Symbol System Equals (Liters) Equals (m³)

Real-Life Applications of Volume

🏗️

Construction & Engineering

Calculate concrete volume for foundations (V = l × w × h), pipe capacity for plumbing (V = πr²h), and room volume for HVAC system sizing.
🍳

Cooking & Baking

Convert between cups, tablespoons (tbsp), teaspoons (tsp), milliliters (mL), and liters (L). Scale recipes by adjusting ingredient volumes proportionally.
📦

Shipping & Logistics

Determine container volume to optimize packing. Shipping costs are based on dimensional weight: volume ÷ a divisor factor. A standard 20-ft container holds 33.2 m³.
🔬

Science & Medicine

Measure dosage volumes in mL for medications. Calculate organ volumes from MRI scans (e.g., liver ≈ 1,500 cm³). Use water displacement in chemistry labs.
🚨

Fuel & Energy

Measure fuel tank capacity in liters (L), US gallons (gal), or oil barrels (bbl). One oil barrel = 158.987 liters = 42 US gallons.
🏡

Home & Garden

Calculate soil volume for raised garden beds, water capacity for pools and aquariums, and paint volume needed for walls (based on surface area).
💧

Water Resources

Measure reservoir capacity in acre-feet (ac·ft). One acre-foot = 1,233.48 m³ = 325,851 US gallons — roughly a family of four’s annual water use.
🏀

Sports & Recreation

Calculate ball volumes for sports equipment. An Olympic swimming pool holds 2,500 m³ (2.5 million liters). A basketball has a volume of 7,236 cm³.

All Volume calculators

35 free volume calculation tools — click any calculator to get started.

📐 Geometric Shape Calculators

🔷 Cube Volume Calculator V = a³ 📦 Box Volume Calculator V = l × w × h ▭ Rectangular Prism Calculator V = l × w × h 🥫 Cylinder Volume Calculator V = πr²h 🏀 Sphere Volume Calculator V = (4/3)πr³ 🥣 Hemisphere Volume Calculator V = (2/3)πr³ 🍦 Cone Volume Calculator V = (1/3)πr²h 🔺 Prism Volume Calculator V = Base Area × h 🔻 Pyramid Volume Calculator V = (1/3)a²h 🥚 Ellipsoid Volume Calculator V = (4/3)πabc 📐 Triangle Volume Calculator V = ½bh × L ⏢ Trapezoid Volume Calculator V = ½(a+b)×h×L

🏠 Real-World Object Calculators

🔧 Pipe Volume Calculator Pipes & Plumbing 🛢️ Tank Volume Calculator Horizontal & Vertical 🐟 Aquarium Volume Calculator Fish Tanks 🏊 Pool Volume Calculator Swimming Pools 🌿 Pond Volume Calculator Garden & Koi Ponds 🥣 Bowl Volume Calculator Bowls & Cups 🏺 Jar Volume Calculator Mason Jars & Canning 🍲 Pot Volume Calculator Cooking Pots 🗑️ Trash Can Volume Calculator Waste Bins 🏄 Surfboard Volume Calculator Board Sizing

🔄 Unit Converter Calculators

🪣 Gallon Calculator US & Imperial Gallons 🧴 Liter Calculator Metric Liquid Volume 🥛 Quart Calculator Quarts & Pints 📏 Cubic Feet Calculator ft³ Conversions 🏗️ Cubic Yard Calculator yd³ for Landscaping 📐 Cubic Meter Calculator m³ — SI Unit 🔨 Cubic Inches Calculator in³ & Engine Displacement 💊 Millilitres Calculator mL Conversions 🥃 Ounces Calculator Fluid Ounces ⚡ Volume Unit Converter 30+ Units

⚖️ Specialty Calculators

📐 Area to Volume Calculator Area × Depth = Volume ⚖️ Density & Mass Volume V = m / ρ 🏋️ Volume to Weight Calculator m = V × ρ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about volume calculations, formulas, and unit conversions.

A cuboid and a rectangular prism are actually the same shape. Both terms refer to a six-sided box where each face is a rectangle and opposite faces are identical. The volume formula is V = length × width × height. The term 'cuboid' is more common in British English, while 'rectangular prism' is used more in American English and mathematics education.
US and Imperial gallons are different units of measurement. 1 US Gallon = 3.78541 liters = 128 US fluid ounces. 1 Imperial Gallon = 4.54609 liters = 160 Imperial fluid ounces. An Imperial gallon is about 20% larger than a US gallon.
A frustum is the portion of a cone or pyramid that remains when the top is cut off by a plane parallel to the base. Its formula is V = (πh/3)(r₁² + r₂² + r₁r₂). Common uses include calculating the volume of flower pots, lamp shades, bucket-shaped containers, and cooling towers.
A torus is shaped like a donut or ring. Its volume is calculated with V = 2π²Rr², where R is the major radius (distance from center of the torus to center of the tube) and r is the minor radius (radius of the tube itself). For example, a donut with R = 4 cm and r = 1.5 cm has a volume of about 177.65 cm³.
Our calculations use JavaScript's 64-bit floating-point arithmetic (IEEE 754 double precision), which provides approximately 15-16 significant decimal digits of precision. For all practical purposes — engineering, construction, science experiments, cooking, and everyday use — this level of precision far exceeds what is needed.
This elegant relationship — V(cone) = ⅓ × V(cylinder) — when they share the same base and height, can be proven through calculus (integration) or Cavalieri's principle. As you move up from the base of a cone, the cross-sectional area shrinks proportional to the square of the remaining height, reducing the total volume to exactly one-third.
Volume is an extensive property — it depends on the amount of matter present. Doubling the quantity of a substance doubles the volume. Mass, energy, and entropy are also extensive properties. Intensive properties (density, temperature, pressure, color, boiling point) remain constant regardless of the amount. Density is the ratio of two extensive properties (mass ÷ volume), making it intensive.
The volume of the Earth is approximately 1.08321 × 10¹² cubic kilometers (km³), which equals 1.08321 × 10²¹ cubic meters (m³) or 2.8633 × 10¹¹ cubic miles. Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid with an equatorial radius of 6,378.1 km and a polar radius of 6,356.8 km. The volume formula for an oblate spheroid is V = (4/3)π × a² × b, where a = equatorial radius and b = polar radius.
Calculate the surface-area-to-volume ratio by dividing surface area by volume: SA:V = Surface Area ÷ Volume. For a cube with side a: SA:V = 6a² ÷ a³ = 6/a. A 2 cm cube has SA:V = 3; a 10 cm cube has SA:V = 0.6. For a sphere with radius r: SA:V = 4πr² ÷ (4/3)πr³ = 3/r. Smaller objects have higher SA:V ratios, which affects heat transfer rates, chemical reaction speeds, and biological processes — smaller cells maintain higher ratios for efficient nutrient exchange.