Tank Volume Calculator

About the Tank Volume Calculator

Calculates the volume of a tank and converts it to litres and US gallons. Supports vertical cylinder, horizontal cylinder and rectangular tanks.

How to use this calculator

1. Choose the tank shape, cylindrical or rectangular.
2. Enter the dimensions, such as radius and height for a cylinder, or length, width, and height for a box tank.
3. Make sure all measurements use the same unit before calculating.
4. Read the volume result, then convert it to the capacity unit you need if necessary.

The formula explained

For a cylindrical tank, the formula computes the volume using the circular base area times the height, and for a rectangular tank, it computes length times width times height. Both formulas give volume in cubic units, such as cubic feet or cubic meters.

• r = radius of the circular base
• h = height of the tank
• l = length of the rectangular tank
• w = width of the rectangular tank
• V = volume of the tank

Step by step method

1. For a cylinder, measure the radius and height, then square the radius.
2. Multiply the base area by the height, using \(V=\pi r^2 h\) for a cylinder or \(V=lwh\) for a rectangular tank.
3. Keep the units cubic, such as cm^3, m^3, or ft^3.
4. If needed, convert the volume into capacity units like liters or gallons.

Worked example

Problem. A cylindrical tank has a radius of 3 ft and a height of 8 ft. What is its volume?

1. Use the cylinder formula, \(V=\pi r^2 h\).
2. Substitute the values, \(V=\pi(3)^2(8)=\pi(9)(8)=72\pi\).
3. Compute the value, \(72\pi \approx 226.2\).

Tips and common mistakes

• Always check that the radius is not the diameter, because the radius is half the diameter.
• Use the same unit for every dimension before calculating, or the volume will be incorrect.

Frequently asked questions