Volume of a Cone Calculator

What the Cone Volume Calculator Does

Cones are one of those shapes that look complicated but obey a surprisingly tidy rule, needing only the Base radius and Height to pin down the volume. This calculator applies that rule the moment you press Calculate Volume, giving the space inside ice cream cones, funnels, traffic cones, sand piles, and party hats. Students use it for geometry and physics problems, while makers use it for hoppers, lampshades, and garden features. Because only two inputs exist, retaking a measurement after a correction takes seconds.

One Third of a Cylinder

A cone holds exactly one third the volume of a cylinder with the same base and height, which produces the formula V = (1/3) x pi x r^2 x h. Here r is the Base radius and h is the Height, while pi is about 3.14159. Squaring the radius first means the widest part of the cone dominates the total.

Worked example: with r = 3 and h = 12, r^2 is 9 and 9 x 12 = 108. Multiply by pi and divide by three: 108 x 3.14159 / 3 comes to about 113.1 cubic units. The matching cylinder would hold about 339.3, exactly three times as much.

Using the Calculator Step by Step

Measure straight across the circular base and halve the number to get the Base radius, then measure the perpendicular Height from the tip down to the center of the base. Enter both values, choose units with the Metric option, and press the Calculate Volume button for the answer in cubic units.

Keep radius and height in the same unit, and make sure you entered the radius rather than the diameter, since that slip inflates the result fourfold. For a pile of sand, estimate the radius across the circular base and the vertical height of the peak.