A cylinder is a three-dimensional geometric shape that is rounded and elongated. To measure the volume of a cylinder, you would simply measure the top area and multiply it by its height, or depth, depending on perspective. The area is calculated as the square of its radius multiplied by pi, which is a geometric constant measured as 3.14. This may be useful when calculating an engine's cubic inches, especially after boring out the cylinders, or determining the volume of water capable of flowing through a covert.
Measure the diameter of the circle in inches. Divide this number by two to get the radius. As an example, if you measured 4 inches, the radius would be 2 inches.
Measure the height of the cylinder in inches.
Calculate the volume in cubic inches with the following formula:
Volume = Area x Height Volume = Pi x Radius x Radius x Height
As an example, if you measured a radius of 2 inches and a height of 10 inches, your volume would be:
Volume = 3.14 x 2 x 2 x 10 Volume = 125.6 cubic inches
About the Author
C. Taylor embarked on a professional writing career in 2009 and frequently writes about technology, science, business, finance, martial arts and the great outdoors. He writes for both online and offline publications, including the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Samsung, Radio Shack, Motley Fool, Chron, Synonym and more. He received a Master of Science degree in wildlife biology from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences at College of Charleston. He also holds minors in statistics, physics and visual arts.