🧊 Surface Area Calculator
Painting a box, wrapping a ball or coating a pipe all start with the same question: how much surface is there? Pick the shape, enter its dimensions, and get the exact total area — six square faces for a cube, 4πr² for a sphere, and two caps plus the curved side for a cylinder.
The formula used is shown with every answer, so you can follow the arithmetic or reuse it on paper.
How to use this calculator
Pick cube, sphere or cylinder, enter the dimensions, and press Calculate for the total surface area with the formula shown.
- Choose the shape: cube, sphere or cylinder.
- Enter the side length for a cube, or the radius for a sphere or cylinder.
- For a cylinder, also enter the height.
- Press Calculate and read the surface area plus the formula used.
Frequently asked questions
What does this surface area calculator compute?
It computes the total outside area of a cube as 6 times side squared, a sphere as 4 pi r squared, and a cylinder as 2 pi r times (r plus h), covering the two caps and the curved side.
Can you show a worked example?
A cube with side 3 has surface area 54. A sphere of radius 2 has about 50.27. A cylinder of radius 2 and height 5 has about 87.96.
Are the units squared?
Yes. Whatever length unit your dimensions use, the area comes out in that unit squared: centimeters give square centimeters, inches give square inches.
Does the cylinder include the top and bottom?
Yes. The total surface area includes both circular caps plus the curved lateral surface. If you only want the side area, use 2 pi r h on its own.