Surface Area Calculator

Surface area is the total area of all the faces of a solid — the amount of paint, wrap or sheet material it takes to cover it.

Surface area of a solid

Total surface area150.796447372
Lateral (side) area
94.2477796077
Volume
141.371669412

Working

  1. SA = 2πr(r + h) = 2π × 3 × (3 + 5) = 150.796447372
  2. V = πr²h = π × 3² × 5 = 141.371669412

Formulas

SolidTotal surface area
Cube6s²
Rectangular prism2(lw + lh + wh)
Cylinder2πr² + 2πrh
Sphere4πr²
Hemisphere (with base)3πr²
Coneπr² + πr√(r² + h²)
Square pyramids² + 2s × slant height

Worked example

Cylinder with radius 3 and height 5

  1. Two circular ends: 2 × π × 3² = 18π
  2. Curved side: 2 × π × 3 × 5 = 30π
  3. Total: 48π ≈ 150.8

Total surface area ≈ 150.8 square units; lateral area ≈ 94.25.

Lateral vs total

Lateral area leaves out the bases. For a cylindrical tank without a lid, or the label on a can, the lateral area (plus one base where relevant) is what you need.