Surface Area Calculator
Pick a shape below to instantly get its surface area.
Surface Area
96
Surface Area Formulas by Shape
- Cube: 6s²
- Rectangular prism: 2(lw + lh + wh)
- Sphere: 4πr²
- Cylinder: 2πrh + 2πr²
- Cone: πr(r + slant height)
Need step-by-step work for one specific shape? See the dedicated sphere, cylinder, or cone calculators.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is surface area?
Surface area is the total area covering the outside of a three-dimensional shape — the sum of the area of every face or curved surface. It's measured in square units, the same as any 2D area.
Why is surface area useful?
Surface area comes up anywhere you need to know how much material covers something — paint for a wall, wrapping paper for a box, or the sheet metal needed to build a tank.
What's the difference between surface area and volume?
Surface area measures the outer covering (square units); volume measures the space inside (cubic units). A shape can have a large volume but relatively small surface area, or the reverse, depending on its proportions.
Related Calculators
- Sphere Calculator — Geometry & Trigonometry
- Cylinder Calculator — Geometry & Trigonometry
- Cone Calculator — Geometry & Trigonometry
- Triangle Area Calculator — Geometry & Trigonometry