Geometry
Curved surface area
The unrolled side, which is a rectangle of width two pi r and height h.
The Formula
A = 2 x pi x r x h
The unrolled side, which is a rectangle of width two pi r and height h.
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Curved area | square metres | Area of the side only, without the ends. |
| r | Radius | metres | Radius of the circular base. |
| h | Height | metres | Height of the cylinder. |
What Each Symbol Means
Asquare metres
Curved area
Area of the side only, without the ends.
rmetres
Radius
Radius of the circular base.
hmetres
Height
Height of the cylinder.
See It Worked With Real Numbers
A formula on its own does not tell you which number goes where. The how to calculate the surface area of a cylinder page applies this equation to a concrete case, shows every intermediate step, and names the mistakes that produce a wrong answer even when the algebra is right.
Where This Formula Appears
This equation is the working core of How To Calculate The Surface Area Of A Cylinder, filed under Math. Every number the guide produces comes from substituting into this one line.