Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (2024)

Surface area and volume are calculated for any three-dimensional geometrical shape. The surface area of any given object is the area or region occupied by the surface of the object. Whereas volume is the amount of space available in an object.

In geometry, there are different shapes and sizes such as sphere, cube, cuboid, cone, cylinder, etc. Each shape has its surface area as well as volume. But in the case of two-dimensional figures like square, circle, rectangle, triangle, etc., we can measure only the area covered by these figures and there is no volume available. Now, let us see the formulas of surface areas and volumes for different 3d-shapes.

Table of Contents:
  • Surface Area Definition
    • TSA
    • CSA
  • Volume Definition
  • Formulas
  • Solved Examples
  • Practice Questions
  • FAQs

What is Surface Area?

The space occupied by a two-dimensional flat surface is called the area. It is measured in square units. The area occupied by a three-dimensional object by its outer surface is called the surface area. It is also measured in square units.

Generally, Area can be of two types:

(i) Total Surface Area

(ii) Curved Surface Area/Lateral Surface Area

Total Surface Area

Total surface area refers to the area including the base(s) and the curved part. It is the total area covered by the surface of the object. If the shape has a curved surface and base, then the total area will be the sum of the two areas.

Curved Surface Area/Lateral Surface Area

Curved surface area refers to the area of only the curved part of the shape excluding its base(s). It is also referred to as lateral surface area for shapes such as a cylinder.

What is Volume?

The amount of space, measured in cubic units, that an object or substance occupies is called volume. Two-dimensional doesn’t have volume but has area only. For example, theVolume of the Circle cannot be found, though the Volume of the sphere can be. It is so because a sphere is a three-dimensional shape.

Learn more: Mathematics Grade 10

Surface Area and Volume Formulas

Below given is the table for calculating Surface area and Volume for the basic geometrical figures:

NamePerimeter Total Surface AreaCurved Surface Area/Lateral Surface AreaVolumeFigure
Square 4bb2—-—-Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (1)
Rectangle2(w+h)w.h—-—-Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (2)
Parallelogram2(a+b)b.h—-—-Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (3)
Trapezoida+b+c+d1/2(a+b).h—-—-Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (4)
Circle 2π rπr2—-—-Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (5)
Ellipse2π√(a2 + b2)/2 π a.b—-—-Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (6)
Trianglea+b+c1/2 * b * h—-—-Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (7)
Cuboid4(l+b+h)2(lb+bh+hl)2h(l+b)l * b * hSurface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (8)
Cube6a6a24a2a3Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (9)
Cylinder—-2 πr(r+h)2πrhπr2 hSurface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (10)
Cone—-πr(r+l)πr l1/3π r2 hSurface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (11)
Sphere—-4π r24π r24/3π r3Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (12)
Hemisphere—-3π r22π r22/3π r3Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (13)

Related Articles

  • Surface Area and Volume Class 9
  • Surface Areas and Volumes Class 10 Notes

Also have a look on:

Surface Area Of A ConeVolume of a Cone
Surface Area Of CubeVolume Of A Cube
Surface Area of CuboidVolume Of Cuboid
Surface Area of a CylinderVolume of a Cylinder
Surface Area of a SphereVolume Of Sphere

Solved Examples

Example 1:

What is the surface area of a cuboid with length, width and height equal to 4.4 cm, 2.3 cm and 5 cm, respectively?

Solution:

Given, the dimensions of cuboid are:

length, l = 4.4 cm

width, w = 2.3 cm

height, h = 5 cm

Surface area of cuboid =2(wl+hl+hw)

= 2·(2.3 x 4.4 + 5 x 4.4 + 5 x 2.3)

= 87.24 square cm.

Example 2:

What is the volume of a cylinder whose base radii are 2.1 cm and height is 30 cm?

Solution:

Given,

Radius of bases, r = 2.1 cm

Height of cylinder = 30 cm

Volume of cylinder =πr2h =π·(2.1)2·30 ≈ 416.

Practice Questions on Surface Areas and Volumes

  1. Find the volume of a cube whose side length is 5 cm.
  2. Find the CSA of the hemisphere, if the radius is 7 cm.
  3. If the radius of the sphere is 4 cm, find its surface area.

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Frequently Asked Questions on Surface Area and Volume

Q1

What are the formulas for surface area and volume of cuboid?

Surface area of cuboid = 2(lb+bh+hl)
Volume = l × b × h
where l = length, b=breadth and h = height.

Q2

What is the total surface area of the cylinder?

The total surface area of the cylinder = 2 π r(r+h), where r is the radius of the circular base and h is the height of the cylinder.

Q3

How to calculate the volume of a cone-shaped object?

If r is the radius of the circular base of the cone-shaped object and h is the height, then the formula to find the volume of the cone is given by: V = 1/3π r2 h

Q4

What is the total surface area of the hemisphere?

The total surface area of the hemisphere is equal to the sum of half of the surface area of sphere and the area of its circular base.
Total surface area of hemisphere = 2 π r2+ π r2 = 3 π r2

Surface Areas and Volume - Definition, Formulas and Examples (2024)

FAQs

What are the formulas for surface area and volume? ›

ShapeSurface AreaVolume
CubeS A = 6 s i d e 2V o l u m e = s i d e 3
CuboidS A = 2 l w + w h + l h Where, length, width, heightV o l u m e = l e n g t h × w i d t h × h e i g h t
CylinderS A = 2 π r h + 2 π r 2 Where radius of the circular base HeightV o l u m e = π r 2 h
2 more rows

What is surface area and volume with example? ›

The surface area of any given object is the area or region occupied by the surface of the object. Whereas volume is the amount of space available in an object. In geometry, there are different shapes and sizes such as sphere, cube, cuboid, cone, cylinder, etc. Each shape has its surface area as well as volume.

How do you solve surface area and volume questions? ›

Surface Area and Volume Formulas:
  1. Total surface area of a cuboid = 2[lb + bh + lh]
  2. Total surface area of a cube = 6(side) ...
  3. Lateral surface area of a cuboid = Area of walls of a room = 2(l + b) × h.
  4. Lateral surface area of a cube = 4a. ...
  5. Curved surface area of cylinder = 2πrh.
  6. Total surface area of a cylinder = 2πr(r + h)

How do I calculate surface area? ›

Surface area is total area on the surface of a three-dimensional shape. To find the surface area of a cuboid which has 6 rectangular faces, add the areas of all 6 faces. Or, you can label the length (l), width (w), and height (h) of the cuboid and use the formula: surface area (SA)=2lw+2lh+2hw.

How to solve area and volume? ›

Whereas the basic formula for the area of a rectangular shape is length × width, the basic formula for volume is length × width × height. How you refer to the different dimensions does not change the calculation: you may, for example, use 'depth' instead of 'height'.

What is the definition of surface area in math and examples? ›

Surface area measures the space needed to cover the outside of a three-dimensional shape. Surface area is the sum of the areas of the individual sides of a solid shape. Surface area is measured in square units. There are formulas to find the surface area of different solid shapes.

What is a good example of surface area? ›

The surface area is the total area covered by all the faces of a 3D object. For example, if we need to find the quantity of paint required to paint a cube, then the surface on which the paint will be applied is its surface area. It is always measured in square units.

How do you calculate surface area to volume? ›

To calculate SA/vol ratio: divide the surface area by the volume. For example, in the case of an organism with a surface area of 4 meters squared (m2) and a volume of 2 meters cubed (m3), the SA:Vol ratio is 2.

How do you write the answer for surface area? ›

Formula for the surface area of...

Surface area of a cube: A = 6a² , where a is the side length. Surface area of a cylinder: A = 2πr² + 2πrh , where r is the radius and h is the height of the cylinder. Surface area of a cone: A = πr² + πr√(r² + h²) , where r is the radius and h is the height of the cone.

How to find the total area? ›

To find the area of a rectangle or a square you need to multiply the length and the width of a rectangle or a square. Area, A, is x times y.

What is the surface area of the figure? ›

Summary. The surface area of a figure (in square units) is the number of unit squares it takes to cover the entire surface without gaps or overlaps. If a three-dimensional figure has flat sides, the sides are called faces. The surface area is the total of the areas of the faces.

How do you explain surface area and volume? ›

For example, a cube that is 1 kilometer on each side has a volume of 1 cubic kilometer. Surface area and volume are different attributes of three-dimensional figures. Surface area is a two-dimensional measure, while volume is a three-dimensional measure. Two figures can have the same volume but different surface areas.

What is a real life example of surface area and volume? ›

Examples are: How much paint will it take to cover the object. How much wallpaper it takes to paper a room . How quickly will the object lose or gain heat.

What is the important formula for surface area and volume? ›

Surface Area and Volume Class 10 Formulas Examples

The volume of a cube = a3, where the length of the edge is 'a'. Using the formula for the surface area of a cuboid = 2(lb + bh + lh), where l, b, and h are length, breadth, and height respectively. Thus, the surface area of the resulting cuboid is 90 cm2.

What are the basic area formulas? ›

Area and Perimeter Formula Chart
FiguresArea FormulaVariables
Area of RectangleArea = l × wl = length w = width
Area of SquareArea = a2a = sides of the square
Area of a TriangleArea = 1/2 b×hb = base h = height
Area of a CircleArea = πr2r = radius of the circle
2 more rows
Sep 30, 2020

What is the formula for a volume? ›

Volume Formula Reminders:

Volume of a cube =(side length)^3. Volume of a rectangular prism = length × width × height. Volume of a cylinder = π(radius)^2 × height.

What is the formula for the surface area of a function? ›

Surface Area ≈ ∑ n i = 1 2 π f ( x i ∗ ∗ ) Δ x 1 + ( f ′ ( x i ∗ ) ) 2 . This almost looks like a Riemann sum, except we have functions evaluated at two different points, x∗i x i ∗ and x∗∗i, x i ∗ ∗ , over the interval [xi−1,xi].

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