Surface Area Calculator
Calculate the total surface area of solids: sphere, cylinder, cone, pyramid and so on.
Tip: For practical calculations (how much paint or tiles): add 10–15% extra for waste and measurement errors.
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About this digital tool
The surface area calculator finds the total surface area of a geometric solid: cube, cuboid, sphere, cylinder, cone or square pyramid. Choose the solid, enter the required positive dimensions (edge, length, radius, height or slant height) and get the result together with the formula.
The formulas are: cube 6a², sphere 4πr², cylinder 2πr(r + h) and cone πr(r + s). For a cube with edge 2 the surface area is 6 × 4 = 24, for a sphere with radius 3 it is 4π × 9 ≈ 113.10, and for a cylinder with r = 2 and h = 5 it is 2π × 2 × 7 ≈ 87.96. It is used to work out how much paint, pipe, material or sheet metal is needed to cover an object.
How to use
- Choose the geometric solid
- Enter the dimensions (radius, height, edge)
- Choose: total or lateral surface area
- See the formula and the result
- See the figure of the solid with dimensions
Frequently asked questions
What is the formula for the surface area of a sphere?
S = 4πr², where r is the radius. For a sphere with radius 10 cm: S = 4 × 3.14159 × 100 = 1,256.6 cm².
How is the surface area of a cylinder calculated?
S = 2πr² + 2πrh = 2πr(r + h), where r = radius of the base and h = height. It includes the two circular bases plus the lateral surface.
What is the difference between lateral and total surface area?
Lateral surface area includes only the 'wall' of the solid (without the bases). Total surface area includes the bases too. E.g. for a cylinder: lateral = 2πrh, total = 2πrh + 2πr².
How is the surface area of a cube calculated?
A cube has 6 square faces, so S = 6 × a². E.g. for edge 4: S = 6 × 16 = 96.