Capsule Volume
Take the middle cylinder and add the two hemispherical caps. Since two hemispheres make one sphere, it is simply cylinder plus sphere. Horizontal water tanks and LPG vessels have this shape.
Your numbers
Volume
395.84cm³
Litres
0.396L
Surface area
301.59cm²
Formula
Volume = π × Radius ² × Body length + 4 ÷ 3 × π × Radius ³
Enter only the straight body length, excluding the rounded ends. Using the overall length overstates the volume.
What to enter
| Input | Default | Accepted range |
|---|---|---|
| Radius (cm)Centre to edge — half the diameter. | 3 | 0 and up |
| Body length (cm)The straight section, excluding the rounded ends. | 10 | 0 and up |
Step by step
Quick reference table
Results when only Radius (cm) changes and everything else stays put.
| Radius (cm) | Volume (cm³) | Litres (L) | Surface area (cm²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | 84.82 | 0.085 | 122.52 |
| 2.25 | 206.76 | 0.207 | 204.99 |
| 3 | 395.84 | 0.396 | 301.59 |
| 4.5 | 1,017.88 | 1.018 | 537.21 |
| 6 | 2,035.75 | 2.036 | 829.38 |
What each result means
| Result | At default values |
|---|---|
| Volume (cm³)The space a solid holds — length cubed. | 395.84 |
| Litres (L)Capacity in litres; one litre is 1,000 cm³. | 0.396 |
| Surface area (cm²)The total area of a solid’s outer skin. | 301.59 |
Common mistakes
Enter only the straight body length, excluding the rounded ends. Using the overall length overstates the volume.
Glossary
- Radius
- Centre to edge — half the diameter.
- Body length
- The straight section, excluding the rounded ends.
- Volume
- The space a solid holds — length cubed.
- Litres
- Capacity in litres; one litre is 1,000 cm³.
- Surface area
- The total area of a solid’s outer skin.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How is Capsule Volume calculated?
Volume = π × Radius ² × Body length + 4 ÷ 3 × π × Radius ³ — Take the middle cylinder and add the two hemispherical caps. Since two hemispheres make one sphere, it is simply cylinder plus sphere. Horizontal water tanks and LPG vessels have this shape.
Q. Can you walk through an example?
With Radius 3cm, Body length 10cm, the answer is Volume 395.84cm³.
Q. What do I need to enter?
Enter Radius, Body length. The result recalculates as you type, and an empty box counts as zero.
Q. How much does the answer move if I change a number?
Changing only Radius (cm) moves the answer to Radius (cm) 1.5 → Volume (cm³) 84.82 and Radius (cm) 6 → Volume (cm³) 2,035.75. The table below lays out five steps.
Q. How are the numbers rounded?
Money is shown to the nearest whole unit, percentages to one decimal place and everything else to two. What you see is rounded; the calculation itself carries the unrounded value forward.
Q. Anything to watch out for?
Enter only the straight body length, excluding the rounded ends. Using the overall length overstates the volume.
Related calculators
Keep your length units consistent across inputs — mixing centimetres and metres throws results far off.