Lateral Surface Area of a Cylinder Calculator
Enter a cylinder's radius and height to find its lateral (curved) surface area using the formula LSA = 2πrh, plus the total surface area and volume.
units
units
Curved surface only — LSA = 2π r h
- 1
Base circumference
2 × π × r = 2 × π × 5 = 31.4159 - 2
Lateral surface area
circumference × h = 31.4159 × 10 = 314.1593Unrolling the cylinder gives a rectangle of width 2πr and height h.
How does this calculator work?
The lateral (curved) surface area of a right circular cylinder is LSA = 2πrh — the base circumference times the height. Adding both circular caps gives the total surface area: TSA = 2πr(r + h). Volume is πr²h. Enter radius and height in any consistent unit.
Formula
How this is calculated
The lateral surface area of a cylinder is the area of its curved side wall, excluding the two circular caps. Imagine cutting the cylinder along a vertical line and unrolling it flat — you get a rectangle whose width is the circumference 2πr and whose height is h. The area of that rectangle is 2πrh, which is the lateral surface area.
The total surface area adds both circular end caps. Each cap has area πr², giving a total addition of 2πr². Combining: TSA = 2πrh + 2πr² = 2πr(r + h). The volume, while not a surface measurement, is included for completeness: V = πr²h, the area of the circular base times the height.
Assumptions: the cylinder is a right circular cylinder (the axis is perpendicular to the bases, the bases are perfect circles). Inputs must be positive and share the same unit; the output is in the square of that unit. Hollow cylinders, oblique cylinders and elliptical cross-sections use different formulas.
Frequently asked questions
Lateral surface area covers only the curved side (like the label on a can). Total surface area adds the two circular caps: TSA = LSA + 2πr². For painting just the sides of a can, use LSA; for wrapping the entire can (including top and bottom), use TSA.
When you cut a cylinder along its height and unroll it, the curved surface becomes a flat rectangle. Its width equals the base circumference (2πr) and its height equals the cylinder height (h), so the area is 2πr × h = 2πrh.
Area is returned in squared units of whatever unit you enter for radius and height. If both are in centimetres, the area is in cm². Ensure r and h share the same unit.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Lateral Surface Area of a Cylinder Calculator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/lateral-surface-area-cylinder-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Lateral Surface Area of a Cylinder Calculator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/lateral-surface-area-cylinder-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Lateral Surface Area of a Cylinder Calculator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/lateral-surface-area-cylinder-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_lateral_surface_area_cylinder_calculator, title = {Lateral Surface Area of a Cylinder Calculator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/lateral-surface-area-cylinder-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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