Surface area calculator
The total outside area of a solid, and its side (lateral) area.
Total surface area
Total surface area: 54
How it works
Surface area adds up the area of every face. The lateral area leaves out the top and bottom bases, which is what you need to wrap a label round a can.
A cone’s side is measured along its slant height √(r² + h²). A pyramid’s triangular faces use their own slant heights, which differ when the base is not square.
Formula
cube = 6s² box = 2(lw + lh + wh) cylinder = 2πr² + 2πrh sphere = 4πr² cone = πr² + πr√(r² + h²) capsule = 4πr² + 2πrh
Worked example
A cylinder with radius 2 and height 5 has lateral area 2π × 2 × 5 ≈ 62.83 and total area 62.83 + 2π × 2² ≈ 87.96459430.
Questions people ask
What is lateral surface area?
The area of the sides only, without the base or bases.
What units are used?
The square of your length unit: centimetres in, square centimetres out.
Is the surface area of a sphere related to a circle?
Yes. It is exactly four times the area of a circle with the same radius, 4πr².