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Sphere Radius from Volume

A sphere's volume is 4π times the radius cubed, divided by three. Going the other way therefore takes a cube root.

Your numbers

Radius

10cm

Diameter

20cm

Surface area

1,256.68cm²

Formula

Radius = ∛(3 × Volume ÷ (4π))

The volume has to grow eightfold for the radius to double. Doubling the volume widens the radius by only 1.26 times.

What to enter

InputDefaultAccepted range
Volume (cm³)The space a solid holds — length cubed.4,1890 and up

Step by step

FormulaRadius = ∛(3 × Volume ÷ (4π))
With the default numbersRadius = ∛(3 × 4,189 ÷ (4π))
AnswerRadius = 10 cm

Quick reference table

Results when only Volume (cm³) changes and everything else stays put.

Volume (cm³)Radius (cm)Diameter (cm)Surface area (cm²)
2,0957.93815.876791.78
3,1429.08618.1721,037.42
4,18910201,256.68
6,28411.44822.8951,646.8
8,37812.59925.1991,994.85

What each result means

ResultAt default values
Radius (cm)Centre to edge — half the diameter.10
Diameter (cm)The longest line across a circle — twice the radius.20
Surface area (cm²)The total area of a solid’s outer skin.1,256.68

Common mistakes

The volume has to grow eightfold for the radius to double. Doubling the volume widens the radius by only 1.26 times.

Glossary

Volume
The space a solid holds — length cubed.
Radius
Centre to edge — half the diameter.
Diameter
The longest line across a circle — twice the radius.
Surface area
The total area of a solid’s outer skin.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How is Sphere Radius from Volume calculated?

Radius = ∛(3 × Volume ÷ (4π)) — A sphere's volume is 4π times the radius cubed, divided by three. Going the other way therefore takes a cube root.

Q. Can you walk through an example?

With Volume 4,189cm³, the answer is Radius 10cm.

Q. What do I need to enter?

Enter Volume. 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 Volume (cm³) moves the answer to Volume (cm³) 2,095 → Radius (cm) 7.938 and Volume (cm³) 8,378 → Radius (cm) 12.599. 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?

The volume has to grow eightfold for the radius to double. Doubling the volume widens the radius by only 1.26 times.

Related calculators

Keep your length units consistent across inputs — mixing centimetres and metres throws results far off.